Lakhimpur Kheri: Navjot Singh Sidhu to lead Punjab Congress protest against BJP in UP

The march will begin from Mohali at noon, party sources said. Sidhu has also slammed the Uttar Pradesh police for detaining party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and accused it of violating the spirit of constitution

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Chandigarh: The Punjab Congress, led by state unit chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, will take out a protest march on Thursday (October 7) to Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri over the issue of killing of farmers. The march will begin from Mohali at noon, party sources said here on Wednesday. Sidhu on Tuesday had said that the party's state unit would march towards Lakhimpur Kheri if Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son is not held in connection with the violence in Lakhimpur.

Earlier in the day, Sidhu had slammed the Uttar Pradesh police for detaining party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and accused it of violating the spirit of the constitution. "54 hours passed !! @priyankagandhi Ji has not been produced before any Court … unlawful detention beyond 24 hours is a clear violation of the fundamental rights. BJP & UP Police :- You are violating the spirit of the Constitution, impinging on our basic human rights !!" Sidhu said in a tweet.

Here's the October 4 tweet of Sidhu's hailing Priyanka Gandhi's courage:

Courage, thy name is @PriyankaGandhi !! pic.twitter.com/XQ45nL2aVf

— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) October 4, 2021

On October 5, Sindhu had said that the activists of Punjab Congress will walk towards Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh if Priyanka Gandhi is not released and the Union Minister's son accused of murder not arrested. "If, by tomorrow, the Union Minister's son behind the brutal murder of farmers is not arrested, and our leader @PriyankaGandhi being unlawfully arrested, fighting for farmers is not released, the Punjab Congress will march towards Lakhimpur Kheri!" Sidhu tweeted today (October 5).

Eight people including four farmers and three BJP workers were killed in the violence that erupted in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri ahead of the visit of the state's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday (October 3, 2021). On October 4, the UP Police had tweeted, "In the unfortunate incident of Lakhimpur, 8 casualties have been reported till now as per the district administration. ADG LO, ACS Agriculture,IG Range & Commissioner are on the spot & situation is under control. Adequate deployment has been done to prevent any untoward incident."

(With Agency inputs)