Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Sachin Pilot slams ‘manhandling’ of Priyanka Gandhi by UP police

Credit: ANI

New Delhi: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday (October 4) hit out at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government for “manhandling” Priyanka Gandhi who was on her way to meet families of victims who were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri violence.

He said that the way she was misbehaved with showed that the Centre and state government are scared.

“You saw how they behaved with Priyanka Gandhi. I feel that the manhandling with any one leader shows that the BJP governments in the state and Centre are scared,” Pilot said.

“When our party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi wanted to meet the family of the deceased farmers, the Uttar Pradesh administration and the police misbehaved with her, a woman leader. This reflects its mindset. We condemn this incident,” he added.

Priyanka Gandhi, MP Deepender Hooda and other Congress leaders who reached the Lakhimpur Kheri border were not allowed to meet the families of the farmers who died in the violence.

Courage, thy name is @PriyankaGandhi !! pic.twitter.com/XQ45nL2aVf — Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) October 4, 2021

He further alleged that the Yogi Adityanath-led government “has the habit of operating beyond the law of the land”.

He demanded a judicial probe into the killing of eight people, including four farmers.

He said those guilty should be given the harshest punishment and the families of the farmers who died should be adequately compensated.

Pilot recalled that Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were stopped last year too when they were on their way to meet the family of the Hathras rape victim.

Even this time, Priyanka Gandhi was illegally stopped, without any order, and later detained, he said.