Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been detained from Hargaon in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district while she was on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri where violence had claimed eight lives on Sunday.
According to the reports, other opposition leaders are also being stopped from proceeding towards Lakhimpur Kheri after Sunday’s incident, where the death toll has gone up to eight. Priyanka Gandhi’s convoy was stopped in Lucknow and the police surrounded the Kaul House where she stays during her Lucknow visits.
She said- “Today’s incident shows that this government is using politics to mow down farmers. This is the farmers’ country, not BJP’s… I’m not committing any crime by deciding to meet the victims’ kin…Why are you stopping us? You should have a warrant. I am not committing a crime by stepping out of the house. I just want to meet the affected families and share their grief. What wrong am I committing? And if I have done something wrong, then you (UP Police) should have an order, a warrant. You (UP Police) are stopping me, my car, but for what reason?”
However, Priyanka managed to hoodwink the cops and walked out of her residence from the side gate and after a short distance, she got into a waiting car and left for Lakhimpur Kheri with Congress leader Deependra Singh Hooda at the wheel.
As soon as Priyanka reached Hargaon in the Sitapur district around 6. a.m on Monday, she was stopped. After a minor scuffle with the women constable, Priyanka demanded to see her arrest warrant. The police personnel took her into custody and she was taken to the PAC office in the district.
On October 3, around four farmers were among eight persons killed in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri after a convoy of three SUVs, including one owned by Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra, hit a group of farm protesters leading to a clash. Farm leaders have also said that they would hold protests in all districts on Monday to demand punishment for the guilty. They also seek the “arrest of the Minister and his son” who, they said, was driving one of the SUVs. They called for a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.
Opposition parties slammed the BJP state government for the “inhuman” and “cruel” incident and called for the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
