Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday over the killing of farmers in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri, saying democracy was under "threat" in the country.
His remarks came after multiple opposition leaders were stopped from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri.
Addressing a dharna at the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office against the Lakhimpur violence and detention of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Mr Gehlot said the video of the incident shared by Ms Gandhi Vadra is sufficient to substantiate the allegation and no other evidence is needed.
Ms Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday morning shared a video on Twitter, which showed a group of protesting farmers being mowed down by an SUV.
"The situation is dreadful. What happened in Lakhimpur Kheri is not a small thing; this has shaken the whole country," Mr Gehlot said.
The senior Congress leader urged the people to come forward as democracy was under "threat" in the country.
"The popularity graph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming down and people have understood that there is a difference in his words and actions," the chief minister said.
Mr Gehlot said the DNA of the Congress and the country is one.
"Fascist forces keep coming and going but the Congress party has been running since the time of Mahatma Gandhi," he said.
Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasara and other leaders also addressed the protesters.
Eight people died and several others were injured on Sunday in the bloodiest clash since the farmers' protest began last year over the Centre's farm laws.
Four of the dead were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.
The rest who died were BJP workers and their driver, who were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and then lynched by the protesters.
The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a case against Union minister Ajay Mishra's son but no arrest has been made so far.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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