Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not visiting Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri, where 8 people, including 4 farmers, died on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that farmers are being attacked, mowed down and being murdered.
"Farmers are being mowed down by a jeep, they are being murdered, and the name of a union minister and his son is coming up in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Yesterday, PM visited Lucknow but he did not visit Lakhimpur Kheri. It is a systematic attack on farmers," the Wayanad MP said while addressing the media persons here.
"Today, with two CMs we will visit Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh to understand the situation there and support the farmers' families," he said.
A 5-member delegation of the Congress Party led by Rahul Gandhi will visit Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday to meet families of victims killed in a violent incident on Sunday.
However, the Uttar Pradesh government denied permission to the Congress delegation in the wake of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) that has been imposed in Lucknow.
"The government has denied permission to Rahul Gandhi. If he arrives in Lucknow, we will request him at the airport not to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur. Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate (DM) of Lakhimpur and Sitapur urged us to stop him from coming in wake of local law and order situation," said Lucknow Police Commissioner.
The District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri has imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which prohibits assembly of five or more people at a time, following the Sunday incident. Soon after the violent incident at Lakhimpur Kheri, political leaders made a beeline to visit the site and expressed their desire to meet the families of the victims.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, alleged that Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni arrived with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him.
However, Ashish Mishra refuted SKM's allegations and said he was not present at the spot where the incident took place.
As many as eight people died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on Sunday, said Uttar Pradesh police.
MoS Teni also said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants mingled with protesting farmers and pelted the stones at the car which lead to the 'unfortunate incident'.
( With inputs from ANI )
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