New Delhi, May 12: The UP Cabinet Secretary said there were no prohibitory orders in force in Bhatta Parasaul since this morning as the orders were in place till only May 10. Singh said prohibitory orders were re-imposed in the area after Congress leaders sought permission from the state authorities to hold a rally in the village.
Congress promptly attacked Mayawati for Gandhi’s arrest with AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi saying UP has witnessed “the cruellest rule of several imperialistic regimes”.
“UP government’s action in arresting Rahul Gandhi proves that Mayawati is digging her own grave,” Dwivedi said. “If any sense of justice is left in the government, judicial inquiry is the minimum that the state government should order immediately,” he said. Slipping into Batta Parsaul village in the wee hours riding pillion on a motorcyle, Gandhi sat with the agitating farmers throughout the day in scorching heat to empathise with their cause and women who lost their men.
“I feel ashamed to call myself Indian after seeing what has happened here. The (state) government here has
unleashed atrocities on its own people,” he told the farmers. Even as he sat on a dharna, a war of words erupted, with BJP terming it as a “drama” and wanting to know why the UPA government was still not acting on his earlier promise of bringing Land Acquisition Bill in Parliament. The Congress, on its part, said it was keen to get on early passage of the bill in Parliament. Gandhi said he associated with them as they were demanding their “right” and there was “nothing wrong” in it. “I want to tell you that I am with you till your demands are met. Till your work is not done, the Congress party will not desert you,” he said to a thunderous applause from the gathering which shouted slogans hailing him.
———PTI