Priyanka Gandhi stopped from meeting clash victims in Sonbhadra

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

Lucknow: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was on Friday stopped from proceeding towards Sonbhadra district to meet those injured in a clash that claimed 10 lives and taken to a guesthouse by authorities after she staged a sit-in.

The Congress general secretary (Uttar Pradesh East) and her party workers demanded that they are shown the order under which she was stopped.

Priyanka Gandhi and other members of the Congress were stopped at Narainpur in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur district while they were on their way to Sonbhadra, and they sat on a dharna, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Piyush Kumar Srivastava said.

"They were pacified after some time and taken to the Chunar guest house," a senior police official said.

However, the Congress claimed that Priyanka Gandhi had been taken into police custody.

Eighteen people were injured in the clash that took place between supporters of a village head and Gond tribals over a piece of land in Sonbhadra's Ghorawal area on Wednesday.

Village head Yagya Dutt's supporters had allegedly opened fire on the tribals and till now, 29 people, including him, have been arrested.

Some of the injured were admitted to the BHU Trauma Centre in Varanasi, while some are undergoing treatment at a health facility in Sonbhadra.

Priyanka Gandhi left for Sonbhadra after meeting those admitted at Varanasi, but was stopped on the way. She was also scheduled to meet family members of the victims.

"I want to peacefully meet the family members of the victims who had fallen to the bullets in the clash.

I want to see the orders under which I have been stopped to meet them," Priyanka Gandhi said while sitting on the dharna .

"I can move ahead only with four people. I want to meet the victims ," she stressed.

"I only want to meet the affected families, whose members have been mercilessly shot dead. A boy of my son's age was shot at and is lying in hospital.Tell me on what legal basis I am stopped here," Priyanka Gandhi said.

Senior Congress leader and MLA Ajay Rai said Priyanka Gandhi, who was stopped on the Varanasi-Mirzapur border while on her way to Sonbhadra, has been taken into "police custody along with other Congress leaders and workers."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who had arrived in Sonbhadra earlier today was detained by the police after she sat on a dharna against the state government for not allowing her to meet the kin of those killed in firing over a land dispute on July 17.

Police detained her citing violating of Section 144, which was imposed in the area. The section prohibits assembly of more than 4 people in an area.

"Yes, we still won't be cowed down. We were only going peacefully to meet victim families. I don't know where are they taking me, we are ready to go anywhere," she told ANI on being asked if she was arrested.

Also read: Sonbhadra murder case: Priyanka Gandhi to meet families of July 17 firing victims

At the BHU Trauma Centre, she enquired about the health of those injured and also assured them and their family of all possible support from the Congress.

Rai along with district unit chief Prajanath Sharma and party workers accompanied Gandhi during her visit to the trauma centre.

A team led by Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu had visited Sonbhadra on Thursday and had sent its report to Priyanka Gandhi.

On Wednesday, the Congress leader had criticised the state government over the law and order situation.

"In the BJP ruled state, the confidence of criminals is so high that broad day-light killings are continuously happening. The killing of 9 gond tribesmen, including 3 women, by the land mafia in Umbha village of Sonbhadra is heart-wrenching. Administration and Chief Minister are all sleeping. Is this how the state will be crime-free?" she had tweeted.

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