Priyanka hits out at Yogi Govt, says instead of curbing crime, they arrested her

“It is the duty of the government of Uttar Pradesh to catch the culprits. My duty is to stand in favour of the persons who are suffering from crime. The BJP is unable to stop the crime and is also preventing me from doing my duty. Nobody can stop me from standing in support of the victims. Please stop the crime," she tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka was taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh police in Varanasi's Narayanpur, neighbouring the Mirzapur border, where she was stopped on her way to Sonbhadra to meet the relatives of persons killed in the recent violence.

Protesting against the 'arrest' of Priyanka, who is in-charge of Uttar Pradesh (West) where the incident took place, the Congress has called a nation-wide protest on Friday.

In a letter to all PCC chiefs, CLP leaders, AICC general secretaries- in charge, AICC secretaries, heads of departments and frontal organisations, Congress organisational general secretary KC Venugopal asked to hold dharna and demonstrations in all states.

Congress leaders including outgoing president Rahul Gandhi condemned the arrest of Priyanka and blamed Adityanath's government for deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

"This arbitrary application of power, to prevent her from meeting families of the 10 Adivasi farmers brutally gunned down for refusing to vacate their own land, reveals the BJP Government's increasing insecurity in Uttar Pradesh," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Priyanka said that she wanted to meet the family of the victims peacefully and added that "10 persons were killed in Sobnbhadra of which three were women. I visited the injured in hospital. There was a seventeen year old boy whose mother was lying next to him. This shows the deterioration of law and order in Uttar Pradesh."

Priyanka also said that she was illegally stopped from going to Sonbhadra.
"I came here to show the entire country what is happening in Uttar Pradesh. The entire nation stands with 17 year old boy who was injured in attacks," she told reporters.

Taking on the Adityanath government, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel condemned the "brazenly illegal detention of Priyanka Gandhi by the Uttar Pradesh government.

"Clearly the state has lots to hide. This will not deter us from fighting for the rights of Adivasis and other marginalised sections of society," he added.

Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Rajasthan Sachin Pilot also criticised the detaining of Priyanka, and said "Congress workers are not going to be intimidated by Uttar Pradesh government's dictatorship. The Congress workers' struggle for justice will continue."

Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev said that every violent incident in Uttar Pradesh is met with misuse of 144 by Adityanath.

"Devious way to stop media, public representatives, NGOs from visiting. He did the same in Aligarh rape case.144 is to stop miscreants not public reps like Priyanka Gandhi," she added.

On Wednesday, 10 people from Gonda community were killed during a firing which took place over a property dispute at the Umbha village of the Ghorawal area of the Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh.

The police have arrested gram pradhan Yaghya Dutt Bhuriya, his close relatives and 27 others in the case.

Meanwhile, Adityanath said his government has ordered the suspension of four officials and a three-member committee has been constituted to investigate the matter from 1955 till now and give a report to the government in 10 days.