UP Government Has Given Up Before Priyanka Gandhi And Her Popularity: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday claimed the actions of the Uttar Pradesh government suggest that it is rattled with the growing popularity of party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and said it was indicative of the things to come in the future.

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said that wherever Priyanka Gandhi goes to meet the people affected by violence or crime, the state government imposes Section 144 of the CrPC and stops her from visiting them.

"What does this show? It shows that the Uttar Pradesh government has given up before Priyanka Gandhi and her popularity," he said alleging that the BJP-led state government is now indulging in "petty things".

He asked whether it was a crime or if it was against the law to stand with a person who has lost someone.

"This also shows the fear of the UP government and the fact that they have seen the things to come due to her exponentially growing popularity," Mr Vallabh claimed.

Priyanka Gandhi was stopped by the Uttar Pradesh police in Lucknow from going to Agra to meet the family members of a man who died in police custody but was later allowed to proceed.

The police allowed the Congress to leave for Agra on Wednesday evening, party spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said.

The Lucknow police has allowed four people, including UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu and senior leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam, to accompany Priyanka Gandhi, Mr Awasthi said.

Police said the Congress general secretary was stopped at the Lucknow-Agra Expressway as the Agra district magistrate did not allow any political personality to go there following the man's death.

Earlier too, Ms Vadra was stopped from meeting the farmer victims of Lakhimpur violence and prior to that she was stopped from meeting a rape victim in Hathras.