The Uttar Pradesh government has requested the Lucknow airport authority not to allow the arrival of the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, who had announced plans to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, in view of the violence that erupted there.
Eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest, claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit to Lakhimpur by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
"After the incident in Lakhimpur, the DM has imposed prohibitory orders there to maintain law and order. It is requested that you should not allow Chhattisgarh CM and Punjab deputy CM at the CCS Airport in Lucknow," Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said in a letter dated October 3 to the Airport Authority of India (AAI).
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday attacked the Uttar Pradesh government, asking if civil rights had been suspended in the state.
"Uttar Pradesh government is issuing 'farmaan (diktat)' to me for not coming to the state. Have civil rights been suspended in UP? If section 144 is imposed in Lakhimpur, then why is the dictatorial government stopping me from landing in Lucknow," Baghel asked in a tweet in Hindi.
He also attached Awasthi's letter to the AAI. Subsequently, he also issued a video message on twitter where he claimed that the 'fundamental rights' in this country were being infringed upon.
Baghel and Punjab Deputy CM Sukhjinder S Randhawa had announced that they would visit Lakhimpur on Monday.
The SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had also announced plans to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight people were killed on Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers' protest ahead of a visit by Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.
On Monday morning, security was beefed up outside his home and police trucks placed to block the road and restrict any movement, following which he sat on the dharna with party leaders Ram Gopal Yadav, MLC Anand Bhadauria and others.
Hundreds of party workers also gathered outside the house, and a heavy police force was deployed in the area.
"Vehicles are being run over those who raise their voices. We want the arrest of the minister and his son in the Lakhimpur incident," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here.
(With PTI Inputs)
