UP govt allows Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to visit Lakhimpur Kheri

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday gave permission to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, where 8 people lost their lives in a violent incident.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi have boarded a flight for Lucknow from New Delhi.

"The state government has given permission to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and three other people to visit Lakhimpur Kheri," informed the Home Department of the Uttar Pradesh government.

Sources had earlier said 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.

Earlier the Uttar Pradesh government had 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," Lucknow Police Commissioner had said.

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. Soon after the violent incident at Lakhimpur Kheri, political leaders made a beeline to visit the site and expressed their desire to meet the families of the victims.

Earlier, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who was scheduled to go to Lakhimpur Kheri, on Tuesday claimed that he was not being allowed to leave the Lucknow airport.

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.

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 lead to the 'unfortunate incident'.