Sonbhadra Firing: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was detained by Police in Narayanpur, Uttar Pradesh today. She was on her way to visit the firing site to meet survivors of caste violence in Sonbhadra where section 144 has been imposed. As police led her away, a defiant Gandhi told reporters that she won't be cowed down by the police action and vowed to go Sonbhadra. "The cops stopped me," she said from inside a car. "We still won't be cowed down. We were only going peacefully to meet victim families (of Sonbhadra firing case). I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere," Priyanka said.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka met the family members of those who were killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17 in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from meeting the family members, Priyanka was also expected to visit the place of the incident. However, she did not get the permission to go to Sonbhadra and her convoy was stopped by the police at Mirzapur Narayanpur police checkpoint. Following which, the Congress general secretary sat on dharna in her protest for not being allowed to visit Sonbhadra.

While speaking to the media, Priyanka said, "Just want to go and meet families of victims (Sonbhadra firing case), I even said will take only four people with me. Yet administration is not letting us go there. They should tell us why we are being stopped. We will continue to sit here peacefully."



On the day of the incident, the Congress leader had criticised the state government over the law and order situation. She lashed out at the ruling government saying administration and the Chief Minister are all sleeping. "In the BJP ruled state, the confidence of criminals is so high that broad day-light killings are continuously happening. The killing of 9 Gond tribesmen, including 3 women, by the land mafia in Umbha village of Sonbhadra is heart-wrenching. Administration and Chief Minister are all sleeping. Is this how the state will be crime-free?" she had written on Twitter.

Watch - Priyanka Gandhi Sits In Protest Post Being Stopped From Visiting Site


What had happened on July 17

On July 17, some men accompanying the village head had allegedly opened fire, killing nine people on the spot. On Thursday, as the Opposition created uproar in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council over the deaths and the state's scheduled tribes commission decided to send a team to the spot, there was gloom in the nondescript Ubha village. Also on was a dispute between the villagers and the administration over the burial of the bodies.

The villagers, belonging to the Gond tribe, usually cremate those who die of old age. Those who die young or unnatural deaths are often buried, they said. The villagers were adamant that the bodies should be buried at the spot where the shootout took place, which is on the disputed piece of land itself. But the administration wanted the last rites only at places where the villagers traditionally perform them.

The matter was resolved late in the evening when officials managed to persuade the villagers to give up their demand. Villager Ramraj said three generations of his family had farmed on the land, and alleged there had been illegal attempts to evict them before. The land earlier belonged to an IAS officer and he had sold it to Yagya Dutt, who wanted to take possession, Uttar Pradesh DGP O P Singh had earlier told PTI. The police also said they had initiated proceedings some time back for attachment of that piece of land.

Shocked villagers fumbled for words when a PTI correspondent visited the Ubha Thursday. The villagers were demanding that no one involved in the firing should escape punishment. Nandlal said his wife Basmati (45) died in the firing. Another villager, Rambali, lost his brother and sister-in-law. The FIR registered by the police names 11 assailants and mentions that 50 others were involved in the shootout.

Police have arrested Girijesh and Vimlesh, two nephews of the village head hours after the violence. The headman was arrested Thursday. In Lucknow, proceedings of the state Legislative Council were stalled by a determined opposition which forced repeated adjournments during the Question and Zero hours. The House was adjourned for the day when opposition member trooped into the Well, shouting anti-government slogans and brandishing placards.