Lakhimpur violence: Navjot Sidhu, MLAs head to Lakhimpur after detention

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 7

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu, Cabinet ministers Pargat Singh, Vijay Inder Singla and Amrinder Raja Warring, and 15 party MLAs were detained at the Sarsawa police station in Saharanpur, after being taken into custody by the Uttar Pradesh Police on the Haryana border. A group of 25 was later allowed to proceed further with police escort.

Threatens fast

If police do not arrest Union Minister’s son till Friday or he does not join probe, I will go on hunger strike. — Navjot Sidhu, PCC Chief

The leaders were part of the convoy led by Sidhu on way to UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of the farmers who died during the recent violence.

Another group of 40 leaders, including minister Trip Rajinder Bajwa and several MLAs, was left behind at Shahjahanpur police station, located near the Haryana border. While the UP administration asked Sidhu to take along only five persons, the PCC chief insisted on marching on with all ministers, MLAs and MPs to Lakhimpur Kehri.

The administration then allowed Sidhu along with two dozen MLAs, including three ministers and MP Jasbir Singh Gill, to proceed towards Lakhimpur Kehri in private vehicles with UP Police escort. While minister Raja Warring returned home, the protesters were joined by his Cabinet colleague Gurkirat Singh Kotli.

Ahead of his detention, Sidhu was seen arguing with policemen as Congress leaders tried to push through the barricading at the border. “The fight is for our farmers. If UP Police do not arrest the Union Minister’s son till tomorrow (Friday) or he does not join investigation, I will go on hunger strike. It is my promise,” claimed Sidhu, as he called party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra “saviours of democracy”.

Earlier, nearly 5,000 Congress men, including ministers, legislators and workers, assembled at Mohali before leaving for Lakhimpur Kheri in their vehicles. As the convoy moved ahead, nearly 1,200 party leaders and workers made it to the Haryana-UP border.

Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi joined Sidhu briefly at the start of the march. Instead of party flags, Sidhu and other leaders were seen holding flags associated with the farmers’ agitation as slogans of ‘kisan-mazdoor ekta zindabad’ were raised.

Interestingly, as Sidhu was on his way from Patiala to Mohali before the start of the march, protesting farmers surrounded his cavalcade at Dhareri Jattan toll barrier and waved black flags at him. It was after much persuasion by Sidhu that the farmers allowed him to pass through.