Himachal Congress workers protest Priyanka Gandhi’s arrest in UP

Tribune Reporters

Dharamsala, October 5

The Congress today organised protests at Shahpur and Dharamsala in Kangra district against the arrest of party national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Uttar Pradesh. The party leaders and workers raised slogans against the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments and later submitted a memorandum to the Shahpur SDM and the Kangra Deputy Commissioner.

Kewal Singh Pathania, HPCC general secretary, alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Government was not allowing even MPs to travel to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the victims of the recent violent incident there. He said that the Congress workers stand by Priyanka Gandhi, who had been illegally detained in Uttar Pradesh.

In Chamba district, the Congress staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office against the death of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. Former MLA Surinder Bhardwaj, Block Congress Committee president Kartar Singh Thakur, and District Congress Committee vice-president Jagdish Handa led the protest. The protesters demanded a probe into the incident by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court.

The Kullu District Congress Committee (DCC) held a protest march, condemning the Lakhimpur incident, at Dhalpur here. The march started from the Congress office and culminated outside the DC office. Members raised slogans against the BJP government and demanded justice for the victims.

Kullu Sadar MLA Sunder Singh Thakur said peacefully protesting farmers were mowed down. He said the BJP would face the consequencies of the farmers’ deaths in the coming byelections.

DCC president Budhi Singh Thakur said that no action had been taken against the culprits of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

He added a high-level inquiry should be ordered to find out the facts of the incident and punish the accused. The MLA added the government had arrested AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, who had gone to visit the families of the victims. He demanded that Priyanka be released immediately.