Congress has dubbed as "autocratic" the arrest of its leader Rahul Gandhi, who joined the farmers' anti-land acquisition agitation near Greater Noida, and said Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh "is digging its own grave" by taking such action.
Condemning the action, senior party leader and Law Minister M Veerappa Moily said the arrest of Rahul Gandhi was an "autocratic action".
"Arrest is not the answer. Rahul Gandhi went to Batta Parsaul, to empathise with the farmers there and it is unfortunate that such an action has been taken by the state government instead of solving the main problem", he said.
Moily said Rahul Gandhi was not taking up the farmers' cause as a political issue. "This is a livelihood, natural and farmers' issue. He reached out to the farmers. By arresting him, the state government has acted in a most irresponsible manner".
Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi said UP has witnessed "the cruellest rule of several imperialistic regimes. UP government's action in arresting Rahul Gandhi proves that Mayawati is digging her own grave".
"If any sense of justice is left in the government, a judicial inquiry is the minimum that the state government should order immediately," he said.