Rahul Gandhi, denied permission to visit the families of farmers who were killed in the violence-hit Uttar Pradesh district, today affirmed that he will visit Lucknow along with two Congress Chief Ministers.
"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," said Rahul Gandhi fronting a press conference ahead of his visit.
PM Modi, who was in Lucknow to inaugurate Azadi@75 conference, steered clear of the controversy.
An SUV, allegedly driven by a Union Minister's son, ran over slogan-shouting farmers protesting the visit of the Minister in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. Eight people, including four farmers, were killed in the incident.
"There used to be democracy, there is dictatorship in India now. Politicians cannot go to Uttar Pradesh. We are being told since yesterday that we cannot go to Uttar Pradesh," Mr Gandhi said.
"Hindustan ki awaaz ko kuchla jaa raha hai (The voice of Hindustan is being muzzled)," said the 51-year-old leader.
Asked about why he insists on going, Rahul Gandhi shot back with "I want to understand the ground reality".
"It is a narrative. There is a limit to this narrative. Sooner or later there will be an explosion. We are trying to tell them do not do this. We are pushing for maintaining the democratic system. We are trying to give them confidence that in this country you cannot be run over by a son of a minister. Today those families and farmers don't have that hope, we are going to give them that hope," he said.
The Congress, in a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, pointed out that a delegation of five Trinamool Congress MPs, accompanied by their party workers, visited the families of the dead farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Similarly, the party spotlighted that Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad, along with dozens of party workers, also visited the UP district yesterday and gave Television interviews.
"None of the above two parties were obstructed or prevented by the UP administration in any manner. Similarly, many other social and political organisations have visited Lakhimpur Kheri," read the Congress letter.
Lucknow Police Commissioner DK Thakur told news agency PTI that the Uttar Pradesh government has not given permission for Mr Gandhi's visit, and he will not be allowed to go to Sitapur or Lakhimpur.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a case against Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish, alleged to be in the driving seat of the SUV that ran over farmers, but no arrest has been made so far.
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