Lakhimpur Violence: Priyanka, Rahul Gandhi Assure Support To Kin Of Victims, SC To Hear Case | Key Points

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri in which eight people were killed during a farmers’ protest.

Image: Twitter/ @rssurjewala

New Delhi: While the violence of Lakhimpur has triggered a political storm in Uttar Pradesh, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday met the family members of farmers killed in the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri and promised them all assistance.

Both the leaders reached to meet the families of victims after receiving permission from the Yogi Adityanath government.

While speaking to the reporters after their meeting, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said all the three families she met want justice.

These are the latest updates on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case:

• After meeting the families of the victims, Priyanka Gandhi put forth their demands and said, "These families don't want compensation, they want justice. It can't be possible unless he (Ajay Mishra Teni) resigns as MoS Home. Impartial probe not possible under him.If they can arrest us without FIR, why can't they arrest him(Ashish Mishra)."

• Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel along with Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Deepender Singh Hooda also accompanied Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to meet the families of the farmers.
• Their first stop was the home of deceased farmer Lovepreet Sigh in Palia tehsil. From there, they went to the native place of journalist Raman Kashyap, who was one of the victims, in Nighasan tehsil. Their last stop in the district was the home of Nachatar Singh in Dhauraha tehsil.
• Priyanka Gandhi is scheduled to meet the families of the remaining victims on Thursday.
• Before the high-level Congress team reached Lakhimpur, a delegation of the Aam Aadmi Party landed at Dhaurahra tehsil, home of farmer Nachatar Singh.
• Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also spoke to the family of Nachatar Singh over phone and expressed deepest condolences and assured all help to the bereaved family.
• The AAP team later visited the home of scribe Raman Kashyap who was also killed in the incident.
• Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party general secretary S C Mishra have finalised their itinerary to Lakhimpur for Thursday. SP sources said Akhilesh Yadav will first go to the home of farmer Nachatar Singh at around 1 pm followed by a visit to the house of Raman Kashyap and end with a trip to house of Lovepreet Singh in Palia tehsil.
• The BSP general secretary will set out for Lakhimpur from his Lucknow house at around 10 am on Thursday to meet families of the victims of the violence, a party statement said.
• Jharkhand Congress leaders were stopped near Wyndhamganj by UP Police on their way to violence-hit area.

• Expressing regret over the death of farmers, the Shiv Sena, the NCP, and the Congress, allies in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), gave the call for Maharashtra bandh to protest against the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people, four of them farmers, were killed on Sunday.
• Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday thanked the Chief Justice of India after the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and said courts in India are temples of justice that can restore the faith of the voiceless.

The two farmers and the scribe of a private TV channel were natives of Lakhimpur, while two other farmers who died in the October 3 incident hailed from neighbouring Bahraich district.

In addition to the five, three others -- two BJP workers and a driver of Mishra -- had also lost their lives in the revenge action of farmer protesters.

The Congress leaders' visit came after Uttar Pradesh permitted politicians to travel to Lakhimpur Kheri but not more than five people at a time.

With the Lakhimpur incident coming ahead of the election in Uttar Pradesh early next year, opposition parties smelled a chance to corner the BJP.