Lakhimpur Kheri, Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Wednesday night met the family members of those farmers who died after being run over by a convoy of cars, including one owned by Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra.
The Congress delegation also assured the family members of all possible assistance and announced that they will continue to force the UP government to punish the guilty.
The Congress leaders met with the family of Lovepreet, a 20-year-old who was among those who had died in the incident on Sunday. They also met the family of Journalist Raman Kashyap.
They also talked to the families of Gurvinder Singh of Bahraich over the telephone.
Rahul and Priyanka also resolved to support the family in the struggle for justice. "Congress is with farmers in every way. We promise of help in every way in the fight for justice," they said.
Thousands of villagers were present when the leaders reached Chaukhara village in Palia.
They spent more than 30 minutes with the family.
Later talking to media, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that they will fight for the family till the BJP union minister is sacked and his son is arrested.
Lovepreet's father claimed that both Rahul and Priyanka had assured of supporting them in their fight for justice.
Rahul, Priyanka, who were accompanied by Chhattisgarh and Punjab CMs, later reached journalist Raman Kashyap's house in Nighasan and met his family members. They gave his family similar assurance and said that the Party will fight till the culprits are punished.
They also expressed condolences to the families of farmer Nakshatra Singh.
After meeting the deceased families, the Congress leaders left the Lakhimpur for Lucknow.
Tomorrow, the Congress leaders could go to Bahriach to meet the families of other two farmers, who were killed in the Sunday violence.
Earlier, the authorities asked the Congress leaders to meet the families in the police lines, but it was rejected by the party and later they were allowed to meet the family members of two deceased farmers and one journalist, separately
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, who were accompanying Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, have announced to provide Rs 50 lakh each from both the state governments to the kin of the deceased farmers and the journalist.
The other members of the delegation include KC Venugopal, party UP chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Deepender Hooda.
The Uttar Pradesh government earlier gave permission to Rahul, Priyanka and three other people to visit Lakhimpur Kheri after officials met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Though all the Congress leaders were allowed to proceed to Lakhimpur Kheri but Rajasthan Congress leader Sachin Pilot was detained in Moradabad, when he was heading towards Lakhimpur by road from Delhi. The Congress supporters sat on 'dharna' in protest against his detention.
Earlier in the day, AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh too met the family members of the deceased farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP general secretary Satish Chandra Mishra are scheduled to visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Thursday to meet the family members of two farmers and a journalist killed in the violence.
Mr Gandhi had reached Lucknow on Wednesday afternoon, while Priyanka Gandhi had been under arrest in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur since early hours of Monday.
While Rahul Gandhi was stopped at the Lucknow airport briefly, the Congress leaders were eventually allowed by the administration to visit Lakhimpur.
Priyanka Gandhi joined the convoy from Sitapur, after she was released by the police which had kept her under arrest at Sitapur Guesthouse.
On their way to Lakhimpur Kheri from Sitapur, Rahul and his sister Priyanka Gandhi travelled in one vehicle, while Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Deepinder Hooda were in another. Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel were in another vehicle.
Meanwhile, UP government spokesperson and state MSME minister Siddharthnath Singh castigated that Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka were just 'doing drama'.
"Rahul did drama at the Lucknow airport when the security personnel were doing their duties," Mr Singh added.
" Shared grief with the family of martyr Lovepreet. But till justice is not delivered, this 'Satyagraha' will continue," after meeting the family of Lovepreet, Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.
"Won't forget your sacrifice, Lovepreet," he added.
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