Rahul Gandhi to visit UP along with Punjab & Chhattisgarh CMs

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he will visit Lucknow and Lakhimpur Kheri along with Chief Ministers of Punjab and Chhattisgarh despite being denied permission by the administration.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday here, Rahul Gandhi said, "Section 144 is not imposed for three people and only three persons will go to meet the bereaved families."

He said Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi will accompany him to Lucknow and then they will proceed to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Rahul said, "When other political parties are being allowed to go to Lakhimpur Kheri, why the Congress delegation will not be allowed."

On questions about Priyanka's detention, he said, "We are trained to raise peoples' issues and we are not going to deter even on being manhandled."

The Congress leader alleged that the farmers were being attacked by the government.

The Uttar Pradesh government, late on Tuesday night, denied permission to a Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri as Section 144 was enforced there after Sunday's violence.

Earlier, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had sought permission for the Rahul-led delegation.

In a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Congress said a five-member delegation led by Rahul Gandhi planned to visit the district.

Party sources said that Rahul would also meet sister Priyanka, who has been kept at the PAC guest house in Sitapur since Monday.

She was formally arrested on Tuesday evening and the guest house has been notified as a temporary jail.

--IANS

miz/dpb