Hope UP govt fulfills all announcements for Sonbhadra firing victims: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday hoped that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led UP's BJP government will fulfill all the announcements made for the victims of Sonbhadra firing.

Taking a jibe at Yogi-led government, Priyanka said that when thousands of Congress party workers raised the voice for the victims, the state government realised that a serious incident had occurred.

"When thousands of Congress party workers were raising the voices of the victims in Ubbha village, the Uttar Pradesh government thought that a serious incident had taken place. I hope that all the announcements made by the state government are fulfilled. Adivasis should get the ownership of the land and more importantly, there should be proper security for the villagers," she tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Adityanath met the family members of the firing victims and handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 each to those injured in the incident.

He later said at a press conference that an ex-gratia of Rs 18.5 lakh would be given to kin of the deceased and Rs 2.5 lakh each to the injured from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) under the SC and ST provisions.

At least ten people including women were killed, while over 20 sustained injuries when a village headman and his associates allegedly opened fire at a group of people over a land dispute at Ubbha village in Ghorawal area in Sonbhadra district on July 17.

The incident took place when the village headman went to take possession of his land purchased two years ago.

Twenty-nine people have been arrested and four officials have been suspended in connection with the incident.

Priyanka, who met the victims' families after a high-voltage political drama, also announced Rs 10 lakh to each of the families who lost their near ones in the firing.

Priyanka's visit had upped the temperature of the state politics after she was not allowed to visit the bereaved families and was put in detention at a guest house in the adjacent Mirzapur district.