Priyanka Gandhi was arrested on her way to meet the kin of those killed during the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Opposition parties slammed the BJP state government for the “inhuman” and “cruel” act against the farmers and called for the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
A murder case has been also filed against the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son for allegedly running a car over protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri. Several others have also been named in the FIR.
Farm leaders have also said that they would hold protests in all districts on Monday to demand punishment for the guilty. They also seek the “arrest of the Minister and his son” who, they said, was driving one of the SUVs. They called for a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
Sources say that there is proof it was a meditated attack as the police had told the farmers that Ajay Mishra had left via another route. When farmers were about to disperse, a mob led by BJP minister’s son shot one farmer in the head and turned their Fortuner, Thar & Scorpio SUVs towards farmers and mowed over them killing four.
In the meantime, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was arrested for trying to meet the families of those who lost their lost ones in the carnage.
Congress said: “We strongly condemn the illegal arrest of AICC general secretary Smt. Priyanka Gandhi ji who went to meet the families of Lakhimpur massacre.
The silence of national media is defeaning.
#PriyankaGandhiwithFarmers
#लखीमपुरकिसाननरसंहार
The Congress shared a video stating that Priyanka Gandhi was manhandled, her arm was twisted and she was pushed, shoved, and mistreated by the UP police.
#KhooniDarpokBJP
#लखीमपुर_किसान_नरसंहार
Translated from Hindi by
Priyanka Gandhi was going to Lakhimpur after canceling all the programs, she was mistreated and stopped in Sitapur; This is very unfortunate and condemnable. Fundamental rights of democracy are being violated in this country: Shri
@bhupeshbaghel
#KhooniDarpokBJP
#लखीमपुर_किसान_नरसंहार
प्रियंका गांधी जी सारे कार्यक्रम रद्द करके लखीमपुर जा रही थी, उन्हें सीतापुर में दुर्व्यवहार कर रोका गया; यह बेहद ही दुर्भाग्यजनक और निंदनीय है। इस देश में लोकतंत्र के मौलिक अधिकारों का हनन किया जा रहा है: श्री @bhupeshbaghel #KhooniDarpokBJP#लखीमपुर_किसान_नरसंहार pic.twitter.com/unM639GMfi
— Congress (@INCIndia) October 4, 2021
Congress Mahila leader tweeted:
Tonight is a long night but like other netas we won’t sleep. We will follow
@priyankagandhi
Ji and join her in the battle against U.P jungle Raj
#lakhimpurkheri #PriyankaGandhiwithFarmers
@RahulGandhi
@JitendraSAlwar
@bhupeshbaghel
@revanth_anumula
Samajwadi Party leader and former Chief Minister of UP Akhilesh Yadav said, “It is a very inhuman and cruel act to trample the farmers peacefully opposing the agricultural laws by the son of the Minister of State for Home of the BJP government.
UP will not bear the oppression of arrogant BJP people anymore.
If this situation continues, BJP in UP will neither be able to walk nor get off the vehicle.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati demanded a judicial inquiry into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence which claimed the lives of 8 people. She also claimed that the party’s national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP S C Mishra was placed under house arrest late on Sunday night at his residence in Lucknow. “BSP’s national general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP S C Mishra was placed under house arrest late last night at his residence in Lucknow, which is still continuing so that the party delegation under his leadership could not go to Lakhimpur Kheri to get the correct report of the farmer’s massacre. This is very sad and condemnable,” she tweeted on Monday. She added, “Due to the involvement of two BJP ministers in the sad Kheri case of UP, proper government investigation of this incident and justice to the victims and strict punishment for the guilty does not seem possible. Therefore, this incident, in which 8 people have been confirmed dead so far, requires a judicial inquiry, the demand of BSP.”