Rahul arrested,takes farmer battle into Mayawati’s camp

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh,who joined Rahul in the village where a farmer and two policemen were killed in violent clashes last Saturday,was also arrested.

“How many will they (the BSP government) arrest? Will they arrest the entire country?” asked Singh after Rahul was arrested from a home in the village where he had gone to spend the night. Also arrested were party leaders Raj Babbar and Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Rahul had slipped past the police cordon to enter Bhatta Parsaul shortly after daybreak. He camped there and met residents,telling them that “I feel ashamed to call myself a Hindustani after seeing what has happened here. The (state) government here has unleashed atrocities on its own people.”

“The Congress is not going to budge from here until your demands are met. I am staying put in this village and not going anywhere until your demands are met,” Gandhi said. He said an official had told him that the agitation was like “Naxalism” but he had found that the farmers were peacefully making their demands.

Congress leaders told the administration that they would camp in Parsaul till their three demands were met: a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of Supreme Court or High Court into the Bhatta Parsaul incident; withdrawal of all cases registered against villagers,release of all those arrested; and,acquisition of farm land only with the consent of farmers and after payment of adequate compensation.

Residents said Gandhi left his car left his car in Chachula village around 6 am,rode pillion on a motorcycle to enter Parsaul where he visited the house of Rajveer,a 45-year-old farmer who was killed in the clashes last Saturday.

Women narrated stories of alleged police atrocities. Gyano Devi,65,showed Gandhi her bruises while other village elders took him to the burnt fields and crops.

“Our 45 motorcycles,two tractors and other properties have been burnt. The police misbehaved with the women,tore off their clothes,” Hukum Singh said.

Digvijaya Singh,who joined Gandhi around 7.30 am,told reporters: “We have a government in Haryana where land acquisition has been done peacefully and with the consent of farmers in the state. Mayawati is answerable to the farmers who have suffered gravely.”

The Congress leaders were joined by Amar Singh who went to the house where they were camping. He denied he had gone in to meet Gandhi. “I went there to meet Digvijaya Singh… Mayawati will have to face the truth one day,” he said.

Embarrassed over its failure to stop Gandhi from sneaking in,the UP police said Section 144,which prohibits an assembly of four or more people,had been revoked last night.

“Rahul Gandhi came from the Faridabad route. He entered without being halted because we had opened all routes. We believe that villagers have started returning to their normal lives. Rahul came without his SPG unit. Digvijaya had wrapped a cloth on his head and could not be recognised,” a police officer said.

In Lucknow,the state government sought to play down the dharna by Gandhi. Home Secretary Deepak Kumar said Gandhi had not sought permission for a dharna in Bhatta Parsaul.

“No action is likely to be taken by the state government for violation of recent guidelines on staging of dharnas and rallies. It is the discretion of the district administration to see whether the guidelines have been violated and decide on the action to be taken.”

“The information by the Special Protection Group to the state government reached three hours late. The SPG informed the state government about the arrival of Rahul Gandhi at 8 am while he had reached the village at 5 am. Whether there was any security lapse,the security wing of the state government will take up the matter with the SPG,” Kumar said.