A day after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri, the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana said in its editorial that she has the same fire as her late grandmother Indira Gandhi. Shiv Sena, a former ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has questioned the silence of PM Modi over the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri and slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for detaining Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while she was on her way to meet the family members of the victims.
Ms. Vadra was on her way to meet the family members of farmers who died after being mowed down by a car of a Union Minister’s son in Lakhimpur Kheri.
Slamming the Union Government over the killing of farmers while its celebration of ‘Amrut mahotsav’ of Independence continued, an editorial in the Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna asked whether it should be termed as ‘blood festival’ now?
“Since she (Priyanka Gandhi) is a general secretary of the Congress party, there can be a political attack on her, but she is also the granddaughter of great leader Indira Gandhi who made great sacrifices for the country and partitioned Pakistan (into Bangladesh). Those who illegally imprisoned her should have been conscious of this fact,” the Marathi daily said.
Priyanka Gandhi asked fiery questions to the UP administration on what was her crime and whether a warrant was issued or an FIR registered against her for the imprisonment, said the Sena, which shares power with the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra.
The (Uttar Pradesh) administration not only stopped her, but also manhandled her, the editorial alleged.
“Priyanka Gandhi is a fiery leader and fighter. Her eyes and voice have the same fire as Indira Gandhi,” it said.
“I have not been produced in front of a magistrate or any other judicial officer either. I have also not been allowed to meet my legal counsel who has been standing at the gate since morning. Presently I am not going into the details of the completely illegal physical force used on my colleagues and me at the time of my arrest,” she said.
