The Congress on Sunday hit out at the BJP after two cars allegedly ran over a group of anti-farm law protesters in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri as it demanded a judicial probe into the incident and strict action against the guilty.
Rahul Gandhi said those who remain silent even after Sunday's incident in Lakhimpur Kheri are already dead and underlined that the sacrifice of farmers will not go in vain.
Violence broke out after two SUVs allegedly ran over a group of anti-farm law protesters who were demonstrating against the visit of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya at Tikonia-Banbirpur road in Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday.
Unconfirmed reports state that many farmers were seriously injured in the incident.
"Those who remain silent even after seeing this inhuman massacre are already dead. But we will not let this sacrifice go in vain -- 'Long live Kisan Satyagraha'," he said in a tweet in Hindi using the hashtag 'Farmers Protest'.
Along with the tweet, he posted a screenshot of a media report claiming that a BJP leader's car ran over some farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri and the vehicle was set ablaze in the melee.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought to know whether farmers had the right to live in this country.
"How much does BJP hate the farmers of the country? Don't they have the right to live? If they raise their voice, they will be shot or crushed under a car. Enough. This is a country of farmers not the fiefdom of BJP's brutal ideology," she said on Twitter.
"Farmers' agitation will be strengthened further and their voice will be louder," she asked. Angry protesters allegedly forced the two SUVs which ran over the anti-farm law demonstrators to stop and set them on fire. They also allegedly thrashed some passengers. Several journalists were also reported to have sustained injuries in the incident.
The farmers had assembled there to oppose Maurya's visit to Banbirpur, the native village of Union minister of state for Home Khiri MP Ajay Kumar Mishra. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the incident is very unfortunate and demanded a judicial probe into it.
"A judicial probe should immediately be ordered into the incident and the guilty should be booked for murder. We also demand the immediate resignation of the Union Minister of State for Home," she said.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged, "The (Narendra) Modi government has become thirsty for the blood of farmers." From Karnal to Lakhimpur Kheri, their regime has unleashed a reign of terror, he claimed.
Sharing images, which he claimed to be the incident in Lakhimpur Kheri, the Congress spokesperson said, "The images are gruesome but show the truth of the BJP."
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