Lucknow:A video of an SUV running over the protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri has put the entire state government machinery on the back foot. ETV Bharat cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video. At least eight people were killed on Sunday after a convoy of three SUVs, including one owned by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, hit a group of protesters leading to a potential showdown between the government and Opposition parties.
An SUV was seen running over the protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri. ETV Bharat cannot verify the authenticity of the video. Earlier in the day senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi shared a video wherein one of the SUVs was seen running over the protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri. She questioned the government asking why she was arrested when the person who crushed the farmer has not been arrested yet. Sharing a tweet, she pointedly asked Prime Minister Narendra 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 food donor has not been arrested yet. Why?" (translated from Hindi tweet).
On Sunday night Priyanka Gandhi was detained in Sitapur when she was on her way to the violence-hit Lakhimpur Kheri district.
Meanwhile, Congress today has alleged that drones were deployed to monitor the movement of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Sitapur. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel tweeted a video of drones monitoring," who will take responsibility, whose drone is this and why."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday described his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as "fearless" and a "true Congressi" who will not accept defeat. He also asserted that he "satyagraha" will not stop. "The one who has been kept in custody is fearless — is a true Congressi, will not accept defeat! Satyagraha will not stop," Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi, using the hashtag 'FarmersProtest'.
It was not just the Congress and other opposition parties who have condemned the Lakhimpur Kheri incident; BJP MP Varun Gandhi took to tweeter to say the "video of deliberately crushing farmers with vehicles in Lakhimpur Kheri will shake anyone's soul. Police should take cognizance of this video and immediately arrest the owners of these vehicles, the people sitting in them, and other persons involved in this case."
In a related development, a senior official said that the government has taken note of the fact that Priyanka spoke to some news channels on the phone while she was in custody. "We are investigating the matter and will soon take action against the channels and those responsible for arranging the interactions," the official said.
Hundreds of Congress workers have been sitting outside the guest house, waiting for their leader's release. Priyanka has said that as soon as she is released, she will proceed to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the bereaved families.
Videos of Priyanka Gandhi's confrontation with state cops, a video from a state guest house surfaced where she is detained. Earlier she said, "Today's incident shows that this government is using politics to mow down farmers. This country is a country of farmers, not a fiefdom of BJP ideology. I'm not committing any crime by deciding to meet the victim's kin...Why are you stopping us? You should have a warrant...?"
It may be recalled that four of the dead in Lakhimpur were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. The others were BJP workers and their driver allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and then lynched by the protesters. Two cars were set on fire.
