Priyanka Gandhi is now officially arrested by Sitapur Police, charged under several sections such as 151, 116, 107, and more.
The Uttar Pradesh Police registered an FIR against Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and 11 others for disturbing the peace in the state. According to Hargaon Police station SHO Brijesh Tripathi, a case has been filed against eleven including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Devindra Hooda, and Ajay Kumar Lallu under Section 107/16 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The charges under section 151: Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offenses, section 116: Inquiry as to the truth of information. 107: Security for keeping the peace in other cases. Sources report that she is also being denied legal counsel by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Earlier, as she was kept under custody for more than 26 hours, she had asked, “Modi Ji, Will You Go To Lakhimpur Kheri?” hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating today that she had been “illegally held” indefinitely by the Uttar Pradesh government for over 24 hours and targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a Union Minister’ son accused of running over farmers at a protest in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.
“Why is the opposition arrested without any order and a man who has committed such a horrendous crime, he is not arrested. PM Modi, arrest him, not people like us,” Priyanka Gandhi told NDTV in an interview from a government guest house in Sitapur, where she has been detained since early Monday morning.
The Congress leader pointed at PM Modi’s visit to Lucknow shortly for an event linked to the Independence Day anniversary – “Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
“Modi-ji is coming to celebrate Azaadi (freedom). Who gave us freedom? Farmers gave us freedom. What moral authority do you have to celebrate in Lucknow and not sack your minister and arrest his son? This government does not have the moral authority to continue if this minister continues,” Priyanka Gandhi hit out.
On Sunday, farmers were protesting at Lakhimpur Kheri, a four-hour drive from Lucknow on the visit of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra for an event when around three SUVs rammed into a group of protesters killing eight people, including four farmers, injuring several others.
Farmers protested with the bodies in glass cases, alleging that the SUV was driven by Union Minister Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra. The UP police have filed an FIR against him listing murder charges but he has yet to be arrested. Videos have revealed the Union Minister’s son’s at the event as claimed by some sources.
A video of the murder has gone viral through its authenticity is not confirmed. Priyanka Gandhi tweeted the video with a question for PM Modi: “”@narendramodi Sir, your government has kept me in custody for the last 28 hours without any order and FIR. This person who crushed the annadata (farmers) has not been arrested yet. Why?”
“Maybe that is why I am not being released,” she said, adding that she was ready to stay for “fifteen days, twenty days, six months or even six years”
The Congress leader said she was exploring legal options because she had neither been served a notice nor produced before a magistrate.
Reprimanding the BJP for calling her a political opportunist, Priyanka Gandhi retorted: “Each person of this country- each child knows who the biggest political opportunist is. They try to undermine us and our politics, saying it is nothing serious. But I am very serious and I work seriously. I don’t sit in a jhoola (swing) with the Chinese President. I don’t visit Japan. The PM travels the world and he is the biggest tourist.”
She added: “I belong to a political party that opposes the government. It is my job to raise issues, to stand for people, and to be the voice of the people. Farmers have been protesting for months on end, it is the farmer’s son who is protecting our borders. If every opposition party had not tried to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, would the state government have acted at all?”
Priyanka Gandhi is now officially arrested by Sitapur Police, charged under several sections such as 151, 116, 107, and more under apparently highly exaggerated charges and Congress supporters express hope that the Supreme Court or the Allahabad High Court takes suo motu cognizance.