Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will head to Lakhimpur today to participate in the “antim ardas (final rites)” for slain farmers.
The protesting farmers were mowed down in the Uttar Pradesh district earlier this month where four farmers were killed. Preparations for the final prayers of the slain farmers are underway at a field, away from the spot where the violence took place in Tikonia village of Lakhimpur Kehri in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.
There is heavy barricading and police checks were visible on the Lucknow-Sitapur-Lakhimpur highway.
Farmers and leaders of various farm unions from different states and districts of the state will join in commemorating the slain farmers.
Farmer leader and national spokesperson of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait arrived in Tikunia last night for the final rites ceremony.
On the speculation of politicians will be part of the prayers, BKU-Tikait district vice president Balkar Singh said, “No political leader will be allowed to share the stage where only Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leaders will be present.”
Of note, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) is the umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the ongoing protests against the centre’s farm laws.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra returns to the scene almost a week after her arrest while she was on her way to meet the families of the farmers killed in violence
Some groups of unclear origins, which appear to be politically motivated have set up banner writing, “Rahul Gandhi Go Back, Priyanka Gandhi Go Back” and these banners were also sighted along the highway. While some of the banners named who had put them up, others appeared to have vague details about their origins. All these banners taunted Congress, saying ‘people don’t want “fake sympathy”.
However, the massive electrifying crowds at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s recent Varanasi rally tell a different story at the venue in the historic Kisan Nyay Rally in PM Modi’s constituency, where lakhs of people, public, farmer supporters, and only about 20% of Congress supporters gathered to listen to Priyanka Gandhi, and sources report that all the hotels in Varanasi were literally full, gathered to attend the event.
This rally is predicted to change all the pre-poll dynamics to establish Priyanka Gandhi as the chief opposition leader in Uttar Pradesh.
The recent online poll shows Priyanka Gandhi leading the poll as a chief candidate set up against Yogi where originally, the Media did not even mention her name as an opposition CM candidate for Uttar Pradesh and the air is definitely changing in Uttar Pradesh.