UP Violence: After a brief fight, Rahul Gandhi was allowed to take his car.
New Delhi:
Rahul Gandhi refused to leave the Lucknow airport in a dramatic standoff with security personnel this afternoon after he was asked to board a police car for his journey. Lakhimpur KheriWhere eight people including four farmers died on Sunday. After a brief confrontation, the Congress leader was allowed to take his car.
The Congress leader told the Uttar Pradesh security personnel, “Who are you to arrange my transport? I want to go in my car.”
“They are doing some mischief. 100 per cent,” he told reporters.
As soon as Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi and Chhattisgarh’s Bhupesh Baghel stopped at the airport, the police cordoned off the area.
“Let me go! They are not letting me out of the airport. See this – what kind of permission is this? See UP government’s ‘permission’ status. I want to leave the airport but they won’t let me go are.” Yeh scene dikho achhi (Show this scene properly),” said Rahul Gandhi, turning to the media.
He declared, “I’m ready to stay here 10 days, 20 days, whatever…”.
Earlier today, the UP administration allowed Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (in custody since Monday) and three others to visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday to meet the families of farmers to protest against the visit of Union Minister Ajay Mishra.
The Congress has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sack Mr Mishra, whose convoy ran into a crowd of protesters, crushing some of them. The farmers allege that the minister’s son Ashish Mishra was driving the car that crushed the protesters.
The UP government and police had so far barred opposition leaders from traveling to Lakhimpur Kheri.
Priyanka Gandhi says she has been “illegally detained” by the state government.
Earlier today, Rahul Gandhi denounced “a systematic attack on farmers” and said: “Democracy in India was (now) dictatorial. Politicians cannot go to Uttar Pradesh. We are being told since yesterday that we cannot.” Go to Uttar Pradesh.”
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