TMC, RLD leaders allowed to visit Lakhimpur, we also have the same rights, says Deepender Hooda
Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 5 (ANI): Demanding probe by a sitting judge into the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri, Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda on Tuesday said they were being kept in custody to prevent them from meeting the families of victims while leaders of some other parties like Trinamool Congress and RLD had been allowed to visit Lakhimpur.
In an exclusive interview with ANI, Hooda said Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni should resign over the violence in which eight persons died on Sunday and more financial assistance should be provided to the kin of the victims.
He said Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary had been allowed to visit Lakhimpur Kheri.
Trinamool Congress MPs Dr Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Dola Sen, Pratima Mondal, Abir Ranjan Biswas and Sushmita Dev also met with the families of the victims of Lakhimpur Kheri violence in which eight people died.
"TMC and RLD leaders were allowed to visit Lakhimpur, we (Congress) also have the same rights. We demand that a sitting judge should investigate the matter, the MoS Home should resign and more financial assistance should be provided to the kin of all victims," Hooda said.
The Congress MP said they were told that they were arrested under Section 151 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), under which police cannot detain them for more than 24 hours.
"Through media, we got to know that an FIR has been filed against us but the police are not sharing anything with us," he said.
"We (including Priyanka Gandhi) are in custody in Sitapur police lines for about last 40 hours. No one is allowed to meet us. If we are in police custody, we should have been produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, which has not happened," he added.
An FIR was registered against 11 people including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Deependra Hooda and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu "for disturbing peace", Hargaon Police station SHO Brijesh Tripathi had told the media earlier today.
Eight people including four farmers had died in the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.
Samyukta Kisan Morcha has alleged that son of Ajay Mishra Teni was involved in the violence. However, both the Union Minister of State and his son have refuted SKM's allegations.
The Uttar Pradesh government had on Monday announced a judicial inquiry under a retired high court judge in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. It also said that an FIR has been registered based on farmers' complaints.
The government had announced that the family of those who died in the violence will be provided Rs 45 lakh and a government job. The injured will be given Rs 10 lakh each.
Additional Director General (Law and Order) of Uttar Pradesh police Prashant Kumar had said on Monday that leaders of political parties have not been allowed to visit the district "because Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) is in place".
However, members of farmer unions are allowed to visit, he had added. (ANI)
