Baghel slams UP govt for denying him permission to land at Lucknow airport

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for denying his plane permission to land at the Lucknow airport as he was scheduled to visit Lakhimpur Kheri a day after eight people were killed there in violence that broke out after a car hit protesting farmers. He questioned whether civil rights have been abolished in Uttar Pradesh.

Baghel, who was named as Congress's senior observer for the Uttar Pradesh polls over the weekend, questioned if Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the gathering of over four people, is in force in Lahkimpur Kheri. 'Are there no civil rights in Uttar Pradesh?. Whether a separate visa is required for going to Uttar Pradesh,' Baghel said. He added he was headed to Delhi and the strategy for visiting Uttar Pradesh will be decided after discussions with senior leaders there.

A person aware of the matter said Baghel will try to reach Lucknow by Monday evening by road. 'The exact plan is yet to be finalised.'

Earlier in a tweet in Hindi, Baghel called unforgivable the 'brutal treatment meted out to farmers in Uttar Pradesh'. '.I am a farmer. I understand the pain of the farmers. I will go to Lakhimpur tomorrow (Monday) morning to stand by them in these difficult circumstances.'

Chhattisgarh health minister TS Singh Deo hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the violence. 'Inhumanity is at its peak... They tried to scare the protesting farmers.... mowing down farmers... is murder in cold blood. This deserves the highest punishment for both the guilty and the instigators.'

For HT: Sign on to read the HT ePaper epaper.hindustantimes.com