Rahul Gandhi gets nod to visit violence-hit Lakhimpur Kheri, MoS Ajay Misra meets Amit Shah

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday gave its permission to Congress leaders to visit the Lakhimpur Kheri district where eight people were killed in the violence on Sunday.

“The state government has given permission to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and three other people to visit Lakhimpur Kheri,” Home Department, UP Government said.

"Permission has been given to political parties to visit Lakhimpur. Only five people will be allowed," Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi was quoted as saying by PTI.

Before this, ACS, Information, Navneet Sehgal had said that permission had been given to five leaders of the Congress, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, to visit Lakhimpur.

After being briefly stopped, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday boarded a flight for Lucknow ahead of his visit to Uttar Pradesh`s Lakhimpur Kheri district. Several Congress leaders along with Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi also boarded the flight.

Sources had earlier said that a 5-member delegation of the Congress Party led by Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Uttar Pradesh`s Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday to meet families of victims killed in a violent incident.

The Uttar Pradesh Government had earlier denied permission to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit the Lakhimpur Kheri district in wake of a law and order situation.

"The government has denied permission to Rahul Gandhi. If he arrives in Lucknow, we will request him at the airport not to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur. Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate (DM) of Lakhimpur and Sitapur urged us to stop him from coming in wake of local law and order situation," said Lucknow Police Commissioner.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) has been imposed in Lucknow. The District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri has also imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which prohibits assembly of five or more people at a time, following the Sunday incident.

Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday registered an FIR against Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Varda and 11 others for "disturbing the peace" in the state. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had claimed that she has been detained for the last 40 hours without any order or FIR.

In a related development, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni reportedly met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. He was seen entering and then leaving the Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block in Delhi.

#WATCH MoS Ajay Mishra Teni at Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block in Delhi pic.twitter.com/ONNQILY80P — ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2021

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of several farmer unions, alleged that Ashish Mishra Teni, son of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra Teni arrived with three vehicles around the time that farmers were dispersing from their protest at the helipad and mowed down farmers and towards the end also attacked SKM leader Tajinder Singh Virk directly, by trying to run a vehicle over him.

However, Ashish Mishra refuted SKM`s allegations and said he was not present at the spot where the incident took place. As many as eight people died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident on Sunday, said Uttar Pradesh police. 

MoS Teni also said that his son was not present at the spot, adding that some miscreants mingled with protesting farmers and pelted the stones at the car which led to the `unfortunate incident`.