Lakhimpur Kheri Violence | Priyanka Gandhi Vadra says she's not being allowed to meet legal counsel

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra releases statement on her arrest in Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh.

Almost thirty-eight hours after being arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has released a statement saying neither has she been served a notice or FIR nor is she being allowed to meet with her legal counsel.

Recounting the events that led up to her arrest, Vadra said that the sections under which she has been charged were not communicated to her until the evening of October 5, whereas she was placed under arrest on October 4.

She has been charged under Section 151, as informed to her by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Piyush Kumar Singh and is being held at the PAC Compound in Sitapur.

The Congress general secretary was detained in Sitapur on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people died and several others were injured on October 3 in the bloodiest clash since the farmers' protest over the Centre's farm laws began last year.

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Besides Priyanka Gandhi, state Congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu, national secretary Dheeraj Gurjar, Youth Congress national president BV Srinivas, party MLC Deepak Singh are also under detention, Congress media and communication vice-chairperson Pankaj Srivastava said.

"At the time I was arrested I was travelling within the district of Sitapur, approximately 20 km from the border of dist Lakhimpur Kheri which was under section 144 however to my knowledge section 144 was not imposed in Sitapur. I was, in any case, travelling in a single vehicle with four other persons, two local congress workers, Mr Dipinder Hooda MP and Mr Sandeep Singh. No security car or congress workers other than the four persons accompanying me were with me.", read her statement.

Her statement also noted that she has not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer either.

"Presently I am not going into the details of the completely illegal physical force used on my colleagues and me at the time of my arrest as this statement serves merely to clarify the continuing illegality of my confinement at the PAC compound in Sitapur, UP ", the statement concludes.

Also Read | Lakhimpur Kheri violence : BJP will pay a heavy price, says Sharad Pawar

Congress office-bearers have also claimed that the leaders in detention have a drone camera deployed to monitor their actions.

"She is not being allowed to meet her lawyers and the administration is not telling her reasons for her detention," Srivastava had said, earlier today.

Vadra has also shared a video on Twitter purportedly showing a group of protesting farmers being mowed down by an SUV.

Her party colleague Gurjar shared another video on the microblogging site showing a drone, which he claimed was flying above the guesthouse where Congress leaders have been detained.

The government is so scared of Priyanka Gandhi that even after keeping her under detention, it is using a drone to keep an eye on her, he tweeted in Hindi. As several Congress leaders took to social media, party workers staged demonstrations till late night on October 4 and slept on the pavement outside the PAC battalion complex.

Also Read | Lakhimpur Kheri violence: UP government to compensate families of deceased, orders probe by retired high court judge

The crowd of Congress workers and supporters was thin on the morning of October 5 but started to swell after 10 am as more party activists from all over the state thronged Sitapur and occupied all hotels in the vicinity. District officials said the law and order situation was in control.

According to Srivastava, the illegal detention of party leaders has led to anger among Congress workers. "The prime minister is coming for a celebration in Lucknow while the farmers of Lakhimpur are waiting for justice," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Lucknow on October 5 to inaugurate a programme of the 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' celebrations.

Four of the eight dead in Sunday's violence were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers travelling to welcome Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area. The others were identified as BJP workers and their driver allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and then lynched by the protesters.

The Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a case against Union minister Ajay Mishra's son Ashish but no arrest has been made so far.

(With inputs from PTI)