The Uttar Pradesh government has granted permission to a Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi to visit the violence-hit Lakhipur Kheri today. As the Yogi Adityanath government continues to bar opposition leaders from visiting Lakhimpur Kheri district, Congress President Rahul Gandhi announced that he will be visiting the district with Congress chief ministers Charanjit Singh Channi and Bhupesh Baghel. While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra remains detained under Section 151 of the CrPC, a FIR has been filed against Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for “violation of Section 144 (on unlawful assembly)”.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh government denied permission to a 5-member Congress Party delegation led by Rahul Gandhi to visit Lakhimpur Kheri district in the aftermath of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) being imposed in Lucknow.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait issued a week-long ultimatum to the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday to arrest Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra’s son, who is accused in a FIR of being involved in the deaths of farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri. “We have given the government a week to arrest the Union Minister of State’s son. “On the day of ‘bhog,’ (a ritual during the 13-day post-death mourning period), we will all gather here again to discuss and decide on the future strategy,” Tikait said.