'Criminals in UP have government protection': Priyanka Gandhi after detention of Congress leaders

New Delhi: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is stopping her party’s march in support of the law student who has accused Swami Chinmayanand of rape and arresting its leaders.

The opposition party added on its official Twitter handle that district borders in Shahjahanpur have been blocked from all sides and Congress leaders such as Jitin Prasada detained.

The party said the protest march has been blocked by UP Police.

Party leaders Jitin Prasada and Kaushal Mishra on Monday said they were put under house arrest ahead of a ‘Nyay Yatra’ in support of the jailed law student.

Besides former Union minister Prasada and district Congress president Mishra, Ajay Kumar Lallu, leader of Congress Legislative Party in the UP Assembly, and senior party leader Dheeraj Gurjar were arrested and kept at the Police Lines, police sources said.

Mishra claimed authorities told him that no one would be taking out any rallies.

“SDM Sadar and CO City told me that I and Jitin Prasada have been put under house arrest. When they were asked as to why a heavy police force was deployed outside the residence of Prasada, we were told that no one will be taking out any padayatra,” he told PTI.

There was heavy police deployment outside the residence of Prasada from 10 in the morning.

“UP is no Kashmir yet today I am in preventive custody for simply wanting to highlight the plight of the Shahjahanpur rape victim. This BJP govt has no qualms in quashing an individual’s fundamental rights,” he tweeted.

Police personnel, along with the PAC, have been deployed in the district in large numbers.

“The criminals in UP have the protection of the government so they can intimidate the rape victim,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

“The UP BJP government wants to suppress the voice seeking justice for daughter of Shahjahanpur. The padyatra is being stopped. Our workers and leaders are being arrested. What is there to be afraid of?” the Congress general secretary in-charge UP East said.

The student was on Wednesday arrested on charges of extortion and sent to 14 days judicial custody.

Hours later, her bail plea was rejected.

Chinmayanand, sent to judicial custody after his arrest, has been booked under section 376C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), a charge with lesser punishment than rape.