Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday sat on a hunger strike following her detention by UP Police. She was en route to meeting families of farmers killed in the wake of violence which erupted during an anti-farm laws protest at Lakhimpur Kheri the on Sunday.
“Today’s incident shows that this government is using politics to mow down farmers. This is the farmers’ country, not BJP’s… I’m not committing any crime by deciding to meet the victims’ kin… Why are you stopping us? You should have a warrant,” the Congress leader said after she was detained.
A video of Priyanka sweeping the floor at the guest house where she has been detained was shared on social media. Watch it here:
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra with the election symbol of AAP pic.twitter.com/xQJvseB0F1
— Kaptan Hindustan™ (@KaptanHindostan) October 4, 2021
Several others, including Samajwadi Party chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, were also detained by police. Akhilesh was staging a sit-in outside his residence in Lucknow after he was stopped from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri.
Four farmers were among eight killed on Sunday following a clash between protesting farmers and BJP supporters. The clash ensued after a convoy of three SUVs, including one owned by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, hit some farmer protesters.
The protests spread to other districts of UP as well as Punjab, where Navjyot Singh Sidhu took part in a dharna.
Congress leaders and other Opposition parties sought punishment for the guilty, including the arrest of the Minister and his son, who, they claimed, was driving one of the vehicles.
They also demanded an investigation into the incident by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court
