New Delhi:
The Congress seems to be upping the ante on the Mayawati government over the land acquisition issue. Just a few days after party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit to Bhatta-Parsaul villages and his subsequent arrest, Union Minister Sachin Pilot was arrested today while on his way to the violence-marred villages. He was released soon after.
Thirty-four-year-old Pilot was taken into preventive custody by the police at Lal Chowk outside the Bhatta-Parsaul villages - the epicentre of the land agitation in Uttar Pradesh.
Claiming that he had not violated the law, Pilot after his release said, "We wanted to go to the villages...the UP police blocked the national highway for over an hour. They brought us here to the police lines without any reason. We had not planned meetings or speeches. We just wanted to give condolences."
The minister had earlier, alongwith 100 supporters, visited the Dasna jail in Ghaziabad where he met farmers lodged there since the agitation in the villages began.
Pilot accused the state government of large-scale land-grabbing and demanded a "throrough probe" into the alleged atrocities on the villagers.
"We would like a thorough probe to be conducted. They were treated badly for sure, and many people have said this before. But you know that if you go into any village and speak to a woman about rape with a camera to her face, it will be tough to get the truth. We would like this matter to be thoroughly investigated, and the people who have conducted a skewed investigation be subject to strict investigation also", Pilot said just before he was arrested.
Pilot's visit to the area comes just a day after the National Commission of Women demanded a CBI probe into the alleged acts of violence on women by the police in the twin villages.
(Read: NCW demands CBI probe into alleged police atrocities)Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had sneaked past an extensive network of UP policemen into Bhatta-Parsaul in the wee hours. He spent the day with the farmers before being arrested. Late at night, he was released and escorted back across the UP border.
(Read: Rahul Gandhi arrested in Greater Noida, released on bail in midnight drama)Rahul later led a delegation of farmers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh where he complained about alleged "rape" of women and "murder" of farmers there, a charge that was denied by the Mayawati government.
(Read: Rahul Gandhi meets PM over UP farmers)Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today announced financial compensation for farmers and their families who were injured during the recent violence in these villages.
(Read: PM announces compensation for Bhatta-Parsaul victims)Those seriously injured would be handed out Rs 50,000 while Rs 10,000 will be given to those who sustained minor injuries.