UP Violence Will End Yogi Government: Congress's Deepender Singh Hooda

Senior Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda on Monday said the deadly violence at Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri will spell doom for the BJP government in the state like the Bhatta Parsaul episode a decade ago.

"I was a part of the Bhatta Parsaul movement and had taken part in the foot-march. The then BSP government had targeted farmers, totally disregarding their self-respect. Today, the same situation is prevailing. After Bhatta Parsaul, there was a change of government in Uttar Pradesh and there will be a change of government in the state now," Mr Hooda, who was detained along with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Sitapur while on their way to Lakhimpur Kheri, told news agency PTI over the phone.

In 2011, two policemen and two farmers were killed in clashes following protests over the acquisition of land in Greater Noida's Bhatta Parsaul, a Jat-dominated village that had become the epicentre of agitation against land acquisition in the country.

Back then, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had visited Bhatta Parsaul disguised and riding pillion on a two-wheeler being driven by his senior party colleague Digvijaya Singh in solidarity with the farmers protesting against the land acquisition taking place under the then Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh. In the next elections, Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party came to power.

Mr Hooda, one of the four Congress leaders who were detained in Sitapur while they were on their way to Lakhimpur to meet the family members of the killed farmers on Sunday night, also told NDTV that he and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were taken in police custody together around 3:30 am.

"Since last night we have not been allowed to meet anyone. Neither has anyone been allowed to enter the premises. The police line in district Sitapur has been transformed virtually into a police 'chhawni'. The four of us were just seeking permission to go and meet the grieving families. We did not even bring a large number of supporters or anything," he said.

"For no reason, there was a lot of 'dhakka mukki', pushing around which is quite shocking to me also. I have been in public life for many, many years. And then for unexplained reasons, they took us into police custody," the Congress leader said.

Sharpening his attack on the BJP, he accused it of being arrogant and showing scant regard to the farmers'' demands.

"The BJP has ignored the demands of the farmers and has occupied the throne of arrogance from where the 'pagdhi' of the farmers is not visible," Mr Hooda told PTI.

"The incident has embarrassed humanity. The minister has not resigned yet nor has he been removed. He must resign on moral grounds," he said, referring to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra, whose son has been named in an FIR filed at the Tikonia police station in connection with Sunday's incident.

Eight people were killed as violence erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and minister Ajay Mishra.

Of the eight dead, four were travelling in cars, apparently a part of a convoy of BJP workers who had come to welcome the ministers. They were allegedly thrashed to death. The four others were farmers, officials said.