Priyanka Gandhi arrested while trying to reach Lakhimpur Kheri site; Rahul tweets in solidarity

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter on Monday to extend his support to his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Hargaon. She was on her way to visit the kin of the victims of Sunday’s violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district.

Earlier, the party’s youth wing national president Srinivas BV had also tweeted about the Congress leader’s arrest

Priyanka Gandhi had reached the Lucknow airport on Sunday evening following the incident and was stopped by the police several times on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi saying “Priyanka, I know you won’t hold back - they are stunned by your courage. In this non-violent fight for justice, we will make the country’s Annadata win.”

प्रियंका, मैं जानता हूँ तुम पीछे नहीं हटोगी- तुम्हारी हिम्मत से वे डर गए हैं।

न्याय की इस अहिंसक लड़ाई में हम देश के अन्नदाता को जिता कर रहेंगे। #NoFear #लखीमपुर_किसान_नरसंहार

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) October 4, 2021

Meanwhile, Srinivas, in his tweet in Hindi, said, “Finally that happened, what was expected from BJP. In the democratic country of ‘Mahatma Gandhi’, the worshipers of ‘Godse’ have arrested our leader @priyankagandhi Ji who fought with heavy rains and police force to meet the ‘Annadata’, from Hargaon. This is just the beginning of the fight!! Kisan Ekta Zindabad”.

In a video that he shared along with the tweet, Srinivas has called on all supporters to reach the Sitapur police line.

Following several instances of being stopped on her way to Lakhimpur, Priyanka Gandhi had lashed out at the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government and said, “I’m not committing any crime by deciding to meet victim’s kin…Why are you stopping us? You should have a warrant…?”

As many as eight people died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on Sunday, said Uttar Pradesh police. “Four farmers and four others have died (in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident). Probe is underway. It’s an unfortunate incident, should not be politicised,” Lakhimpur Kheri district magistrate Arvind Kumar Chaurasiya told reporters.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) issued a statement regarding the incident claiming the death of four farmers and alleged that one of the four farmers was shot dead by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son, while the others have been allegedly run over by the vehicles of his convoy.

Meanwhile, refuting SKM’s allegations, MoS Teni said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants merged with protesting farmers and pelted stones at the car that lead to the ‘unfortunate incident’.

Follow LIVE Updates on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence here