Farmers Movement Archive

Unlawful detention of opposition leaders anti-democratic: Gehlot

Jaipur: Chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday condemned the move to stop Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and others from going to meet the families of farmers killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri. He alleged that the unlawful detention of opposition leaders is against democratic values.Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab deputy chief minister S S Randhawa were among those prevented from going to the state by the BJP-led UP government, Gehlot said, a day after violence during farmers’ protest there claimed eight lives, including four farmers.“Only a dictator government can do this. Does the ruling BJP in UP want to end democracy? In this way, the violation of civil rights is also against the spirit of the Constitution,” he said.“I strongly condemn the detention of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi ji and other leaders by the Uttar Pradesh police. She is a prominent opposition leader and was on her way to meet the families of farmers who were killed yesterday in Lakhimpur Kheri district... The unlawful detention of opposition leaders is against democratic values,” Gehlot wrote in a tweet on Monday.Priyanka Gandhi’s convoy was briefly stopped by Uttar Pradesh police in Lucknow where she reached Sunday night, a few hours after violence during the anti-farm laws protest. “Priyanka ji was going to stand with the families who lost their loved ones in yesterday’s (Sunday) violence. It is totally unfair to stop them from discharging duty,” Gehlot said.An FIR has been registered against Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra’s son Ashish Mishra and several others in connection with the violence. Farmer leaders claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the cars that allegedly knocked down some protesters opposing Uttar Pradesh deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya’s visit.Gehlot said that the BJP government’s inhuman face has come to the fore. It is undemocratic to ignore the farmers’ demands, stalling their movement, oppressing them and then not allowing any opposition party to stand with them, he said.Meanwhile, the Congress workers staged protest in many districts across the state including Jaipur.

The Times of India

2021-10-05

Jaipur