Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi meet families of Lakhimpur violence victims

Lucknow: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the families of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Wednesday. Both the leaders also promised assistance to the families of the victims.

Priyanka Gandhi told the media that all three families she met with were not concerned about compensation but justice. She added that Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra should resign as an impartial inquiry is not possible when he is the Minister of State for Home.

Priyanka Gandhi was detained by Uttar Pradesh police on Monday when she was on her way to Lakhimpur. She was kept at a police guest house in Sitapur without an order of FIR. The state government gave opposition leaders permission to visit the violence-hit district today.

They visited the homes of deceased farmer Lovepreet Sigh in Palia tehsil, journalist Raman Kashyap in Nighasan tehsil, and Nachatar Singh in Dhaurahra tehsil. Priyanka Gandhi will be meeting the families of other victims on Thursday.

When asked about Mishra's son who has been named in the FIR, she stated he should be arrested. The Congress general secretary asked when she was arrested with no order or FIR, "why are the criminals not being arrested?"

Rahul Gandhi was also asked by the state administration to travel in a police vehicle to Lakhimpur. But he insisted to take his own vehicle and staged a brief dharna until the administration relented.

Rahul Gandhi told the media that he or his sister being sent to jail is irrelevant. The main question is about the people being crushed by criminals. He added that the UP government and a group of CRPF personnel prevented him from leaving the Chaudhari Charan Singh airport despite having permission to visit Lakhimpur Kheri.

Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi left the police guest house together. They were accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, General Secretary of AICC for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, and MP Deepender Singh Hooda.

The Uttar Pradesh government permitted politicians to travel to Lakhimpur but not more than five people at a time.

A delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party already visited the home of farmer Nachatar Singh at Dhaurahra tehsil. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal spoke to the family over the phone to offer condolences and assistance. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party general secretary S C Mishra have also finalised the visit to Lakhimpur.