The handling of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri district gives a sense that the Uttar Pradesh government wants to "crush" the voice of the farmers, Congress MP Deepender Hooda, who along with senior leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made an unsuccessful attempt to meet the families of farmers killed there, told NDTV.
"As the Congress general secretary of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wanted to go and meet the families in the moment of mourning. That's the least we could do for them. But as we left Lucknow, we were chased down by UP police without any proper sanction, as if we were the ones who did something wrong," Mr Hooda, who is currently detained in Sitapur police lines, said.
Speaking to NDTV's Sreenivasan Jain, the senior Congress leader alleged that he along with Ms Gandhi were "chased and pushed" before they were detained by the police "without any proper sanction". "It looked like we were the real criminals, and not the people who have perpetrated this crime," he said.
The action, Mr Hooda said, was taken despite the party taking all the precautions to ensure that the law and order is not disturbed. "Just four of us went forward. They used physical force against Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and myself. They detained us despite no written order, they have been told by higher-ups not to allow us to go," Mr Hooda said.
The Congresss leader further claimed that they were detained under Section 151 which is the "probability of committing crime in foreseeable future".
Violence erupted in Lakhimpur Kheri district as a group of protesting farmers to block Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from visiting the area.
The farmers claimed the violence broke out after a car in the minister's convoy ran over protesters. Visuals from the area showed arson and vehicles set on fire. Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the incident.
A retired High Court judge will now probe the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced. The state government has also announced that it will pay a compensation of ₹ 45 lakh to families of those killed in violence.
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