Sitapur Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Pyarelal Maurya told that Priyanka Gandhi has been released from detention.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra left for Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday evening from a PAC guest house in Sitapur, where they were kept in custody since Monday morning.
Sitapur Sub-Divisional Magistrate (Sadar) Pyarelal Maurya told that Priyanka Gandhi has been released from detention.
On their way from Sitapur to violence-hit Lakhimpur Kheri, Rahul and his sister Priyanka Gandhi are traveling in one vehicle, while Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Deepinder Hooda are in another.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel are in another vehicle.
Sources said they may first stop at Nighashan in Lakhimpur district, the native place of journalist Raman Kashyap, who died in Sunday’s violence. Nighasan is about 100 km from Sitapur.
Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Sitapur on Wednesday evening, where some party functionaries, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have been kept in custody since Monday after they failed to meet the affected families. Violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.
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The former Congress president left the Lucknow airport in his vehicle for Lakhimpur Kheri after holding a brief ‘dharna’ as he was initially asked to travel in a police vehicle.
Mr Gandhi had arrived at Chaudhary Charan Singh airport from Delhi this afternoon along with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Congress General Secretaries KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala.
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UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said, “Rahul Gandhi has left for Lakhimpur Kheri from Lucknow airport along with Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. PTI in the noon.
Mr. Venugopal and Mr. Surjewala are also accompanying Mr. Gandhi, who is scheduled to visit Lakhimpur Kheri after Sitapur, where Priyanka Gandhi and other Congress functionaries have been kept in custody at PAC Guest House
Mr Surjewala announced in a tweet that the Punjab and Chhattisgarh governments would provide ₹1 crore assistance to the families of each farmer and journalist killed in Sunday’s violence.
Television footage from the airport showed officials asking Gandhi to take him to a police vehicle, to which he did not agree and sat on a dharna there.
“We want to go in our vehicles, but they want us to go in their vehicle. I want to know why are you not letting me go? Earlier I was told that I can go by my vehicle, now you are saying that you will go by police car. They are doing some mischief,” Mr Gandhi told reporters.
Speaking to the press at the airport, Mr Gandhi said that sending him or Ms Vadra to jail was irrelevant as the main question was “people being crushed by criminals”, referring to the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
“Those who should have been in jail are not being put in jail. We are being prevented from meeting the aggrieved families of farmers.
He also hit out at the UP government after they were not allowed to exit the Chaudhary Charan Singh airport, where a group of CRPF personnel were seen preventing them from exiting the airport despite being allowed to go to Lakhimpur Kheri.
“Look this, permission is there! This is the permission of the UP government,” Mr Gandhi said, pointing to the security personnel who had formed a human-chain to stop their movement.
“I want to ask them, that I am a citizen of the country and have come to UP and want to go. [to Lakhimpur Kheri]. Now, why am I not allowed to go,” he questioned the government.
“Sure, there is some mischief,” he said, answering a question from the press.
When asked about Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, accused in the case, Mr. Gandhi told the press to ask the government this question.
Unable to exit the airport, Mr. Gandhi along with Mr. Channi, Mr. Baghel and Mr. Deepender Singh Hooda staged a dharna inside the airport and said that they would not end their dharna until they were allowed. Go to Lakhimpur.
“I will sit here until they allow me to go. Farmers are being tortured and looted, and farmers understand this,” he said, “everyone knows what these laws were made for. Huh.” After leaving the airport, it took Mr Gandhi a few hours to reach the Provincial Armed Constabulary Guest House in Sitapur, about 88 km from Lucknow, where Priyanka Gandhi has been detained since Monday morning.
She was on her way to meet the families of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Sunday when she was stopped.
Earlier in the day, the state government had denied permission to Rahul Gandhi to visit, and an official spokesperson had said that no one would be allowed to visit the violence-hit district.
Later, the state government allowed Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and three other Congress leaders to visit the violence-hit district.
Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Navneet Sehgal said, “Five Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, have been allowed to go to Lakhimpur.” PTI.
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