Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, today, will lead a delegation of party leaders to Lakhimpur Kheri despite a travel ban in that area. Rahul has been denied permission by the state government and his sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was earlier detained by the Uttar Pradesh government while she was heading to Lakhimpur Kheri.

Rahul Gandhi will today lead a delegation of senior party leaders and will head towards Lakhimpur Kheri. In a letter written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Congress had said a five-member delegation led by Rahul Gandhi planned to visit the district. It has also called the detention of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Âwithout any reason or justification. She was earlier detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police while she was heading towards the district to meet the families of farmers who died as the car of the Union Minister ramped into the protesting farmers. 

As per the reports, a delegation of Rahul Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot is slated to reach the capital city of Lucknow at around 01:30 pm today. The permission for the visit has been denied by the state government citing the law and order situation.

Congress further said that the Yogi government had allowed politicians from various parties in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal to visit Lakhimpur Kheri but is not allowing them to do so. The grand old party should be allowed to visit the district and meet the families of the farmers who died due to being overrun by a car that was part of the convoy of the Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra. Earlier, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Monday, was detained by the state police near Sitapur as she was heading towards Lakhimpur Kheri. The Congress party had alleged that she was being detained illegally and no notice or FIR has been provided to her even after 38 hours of detention and was not even allowed to meet her lawyers. 

Yogi government has put up strict orders and is not willing to allow anyone to visit the districts due to the law and order situation. Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, on Tuesday, was stopped by the police from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri and Baghel staged a 2-hour long dharna at the Lucknow Airport premises. The state government, on Monday, had registered an FIR against the former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for violation of Section 144 (on unlawful assembly).

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