Lakhimpur Kheri: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi met families of two people who died.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stuck to her demand for the resignation of Union Minister Ajay Mishra whose son allegedly ran over an SUV on protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. Ms Gandhi Vadra, who along with her brother Rahul Gandhi, met two families whose loved ones died in the violence, said "she will continue my fight for justice".
"Justice is a right in a democracy. I will continue my fight for justice. All the affected families I met yesterday only demanded justice. The Union minister needs to resign to ensure an unbiased investigation," she told reporters the morning after her visit to Lakhimpur Kheri, a four-hour drive from state capital Lucknow.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, lodged at a guest house in Sitapur since her arrest on Monday, was released to join the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress team, which met the families of 19-year-old Lovepreet Singh and Raman Kashyap, the 30-year-old local journalist who also died on Sunday. The Gandhi siblings were accompanied by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Channi.
The Congress leaders drove to the home of Lovepreet Singh, spoke to the bereaved family members and conveyed their deepest condolences to them, party sources said. They sat on the floor of the house along with the father and sisters of the the teenager and were seen listening to them intently.
Minister Ajay Mishra's son, Ashish Misra, has been accused of murder and negligence in the First Information Report filed by the police. Though the Minister of State for Home has admitted the SUV belonged to him, he said he and his son were not present at the spot. His son has not been questioned or arrested by the police.
The Supreme Court has taken note of the events in Lakhimpur Kheri and the matter will be heard today by a bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana.