Lucknow: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday tweeted a viral video of an SUV running over farmers protesting the government's Agri laws in Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on the matter.
"@narendramodi Sir, your government has kept me in custody for the last 28 hours without any order and FIR. This person who crushed the annadata (farmers) has not been arrested yet. Why?" Priyanka Gandhi, who was "illegally held" by the UP government on her visit to Lakhimpur Kheri, tweeted.
In the 25-second video clip, one can see farmers falling to the ground as the vehicle rams them, while others scramble to get out of the way.
Another vehicle, with sirens blaring, is seen tailing the SUV that rammed the farmers.
Nine persons, including four farmers and one journalist, were killed in the Tikunia village during clashes that followed after this incident.
The Congress leader's pointed question assumes significance as Modi is slated to visit Lucknow today.
Yesterday, leaders cutting across party lines were stopped from visiting the area, with the police even writing to the Lucknow airport to not allow the flights carrying Congress leaders to land.
The Congress too had posted the video of the incident which sparked violence in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.
The video was posted on the official Twitter handle of the Congress at 11.33 p.m. on Monday.
Congress claimed that the video was of the incident in Lakhimpur Kheri.
The video, shared widely on social media, is yet to be verified by the police.
On Sunday, a group of protesting farmers in the Tikonia area of Kheri tried to block Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya from visiting. The protesters were upset over a recent speech by Mr Mishra.
The farmers claimed the violence broke out after a car in the minister's convoy ran over protesters. Visuals from the area showed arson and vehicles set on fire. They have alleged that the car was driven by the Union Minister's son Ashish.
A murder case has been filed against the Minister's son but he is yet to be arrested. Both the Minister and his son have denied even being at the spot.
The Uttar Pradesh government has promised to pay a compensation of ₹ 45 lakh to the families of those who died. The injured will receive a compensation of ₹ 10 lakh. A retired judge will investigate the matter, the state government has said.
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