New Delhi: While Congress workers and supporters continue to protest outside PAC guest house in Sitapur where party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is detained, the leader tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter and asked "Why is it that your government has kept me in custody for the last 28 hours without any order and FIR and the person who trampled on farmers has not been arrested yet.
The Congress general secretary also shared an alleged video of the incident where are car is seen hitting a number of people and crushing them. The video is claimed to be of the violent incident that happened in Lakhimpur which left 8 people dead, including four farmers who were trampled by the car.
Vadra also shared a video of herself from the detention center which was addressed to the Prime Minister saying, " I got to know you are visiting Lucknow today on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. Have you seen this video? (shares viral video of farmers being trampled by a car). Please look at the video and answer me why is the Lakhimpur accused free and why political leaders are detained without any order. Please come to Lakhimpur and hear out the ordeal of the farmers who have been suffering for months."
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi was detained on Monday from Hargaon while she was on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the family members of the deceased farmers. Congress had shared several videos on Twitter where Priyanka Gandhi can be seen asking questions to the cops for not allowing her to visit the violence site.
Videos showed her lashing out at police personnel for allegedly misbehaving with her and her colleagues. "The BJP government is doing the politics of crushing the farmers and finishing them," she said on Twitter.
Congress general secretary Vadra sat on a strike on Monday after being detained in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district. As Vadra began her dharna in a PAC guest house in the district, Congress leaders protested outside and raised slogans against the BJP-led state government over her "arrest".
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi, "Priyanka, I know that you will not retreat. They fear your courage. We will ensure that the country's 'annadatas' win this non-violent fight for justice."
Congress on Monday demanded the immediate dismissal of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra and the arrest of his son who has been named in an FIR by the Uttar Pradesh Police after the death of eight people, including four farmers in violent clashes in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The party also demanded enhanced compensation of Rs one crore for each of the farmers killed and sought immediate release of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who the leaders alleged has been illegally detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
The Congress said it would hold protests outside the offices of all district magistrates across the country on Tuesday to protest against the incident. The Congress leaders protested outside UP Bhawan in the national capital and staged agitations elsewhere in the nation.
Various political parties and farmers' outfits on Monday held protests in various parts of Uttar Pradesh over the killings of four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, demanding the dismissal of Union minister Ajay Kumar Mishra and lodging of an FIR against him and his son.
The protests and demonstrations were reported from various districts, including Banda, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Jalaun, and Lalitpur in the Bundelkhand region, besides Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home turf Gorakhpur.
Besides the usual shouting of anti-government slogans, burning of government effigies, staging of sit-ins, and blocking road traffics, the demonstrations were also marked by protesters clashing with police at some places, including Pilibhit, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Fatehpur, Jalaun, and Lalitpur.
Eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit by UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.