New Delhi, May 11: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday continued with his ways of carrying out ‘surprise visits’ to parts of Uttar Pradesh as he reached the Bhatta Parsol village in the Greater Noida, deceiving the state police to meet the agitating farmers demanding adequate compensation for their land acquired by the Mayawati government.
The farmers are agitating for higher compensation for land taken for constructing the 156-km Yamuna Expressway that is to link New Delhi with Agra and reduce travel time by an hour.
The Congress leader left his cavalcade 2 kilometers away from the village and sneaked into the village riding pillion on a motorbike like an ordinary villager, catching the policemen deployed by the Mayawati government to restrict political leaders from entering the Bhatta Parsol unawares.
As per reports, Rahul’s visit was timed to coincide with the morning hour when there is a change of guard as a fresh set of security personal take over from those who stood on guard all night.
After reaching the village, the Congress leader went door-to-door to meet the agitating farmers and heard their grievances. The Congress leader is said to have assured full help to the farmers on warpath on the issue of land acquisition.
Rahul Gandhi’s move is being seen as an open dare to Chief Minister Mayawati, who had ordered a heavy deployment of police in order to bring normalcy in parts of violence-hit western UP and had strictly prevented any political leader from visiting the strife-torn villages.
Four persons including two policemen have lost their lives due to the unrest.
RLD led delegation meets PM
Today’s development comes a day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured that a bill will be moved in Parliament soon to amend the Land Acquisition Act. The Prime Minister assured a delegation of Rashtriya Lok Dal leaders in Delhi that the Government will move the crucial bill to amend the Land Acquisition Act in the coming session of Parliament.
RLD chief Ajit Singh told reporters that the Prime Minister assured him that he would ask Rural Development Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to hold consultations on the bill after the RLD delegation pointed out many lacunae in the existing amendment bill.
Situation Tense
In order to avert further trouble in Bhatta Parsaul village, where four persons, including two policemen were killed in clashes on Saturday, heavy deployment of force continues.
Along with civil police and Provincial Armed Constabulary, 200 personnel of Rapid Action Force are camping in the area.
Police and agitating farmers in Greater Noida, which falls in Gautam Budh Nagar, fought a pitched battle on Saturday in which four people, including two policemen, were killed.
On Friday, angry farmers in Bhatta Parsaul village had held captive employees of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. When security personnel arrived to free the officials held hostage, the farmers clashed with them, resulting in the deaths Saturday. Fifteen people were also critically injured in the clashes.
–Agencies