Priyanka Gandhi allowed to visit Agra after being detained
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been allowed to visit Agra to meet the family of a man who died in police custody. She was detained by cops on her way to the city earlier in the day. This comes weeks after the leader was detained while trying to meet the families of the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
'What is the UP government afraid of?'
Gandhi was stopped at the first toll plaza on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway. "If I am at home, that's okay. If I go to my office, that's okay. But the moment I go elsewhere, then they start this tamasha. Why? Eventually, I will meet the family," she had said before detention. "What is the UP government afraid of?" she had tweeted earlier in the day.
What is the UP Police's stand on the issue?
The UP Police had said Gandhi was stopped in accordance with an order by the Agra District Magistrate to stop political leaders from visiting the city citing law and order issues. Visuals from the scene showed Gandhi surrounded by many people including several policemen as she tried to go past the blockade. There was also a huge traffic jam behind her convoy.
What is the case all about?
Arun Valmiki, a cleaner at a police evidence warehouse, was last week accused of stealing Rs. 25 lakh from the Jagdishpura Police station. Agra Police said he fell sick on Tuesday night and was taken to a hospital where the doctors declared him dead. A post-mortem was carried out and the report has been handed over to the family.
Gandhi was detained in similar fashion earlier this month
Earlier this month, Gandhi was detained by the UP Police while on her way to meet the families of farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri. She had termed her detention "illegal." Police had said she was arrested for "breach of peace." Her brother, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was also stopped from visiting the families. The two were eventually allowed to visit.
