Lakhimpur Kheri Violence: Officials to suspend internet for 12 hours in Sitapur today

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said that a twelve-hour suspension of the internet will be imposed in Sitapur today. This development comes ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the kin of eight people, including four protesting farmers, who died after being run over by an SUV on Sunday.

Hindustan Times reported that Congress claimed internet services were suspended earlier today in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh where party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been detained.

Also read: Farmers are being murdered: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Lakhimpur Kheri violence

In a tweet, the Congress said, “The terrified UP govt has switched off the internet in Sitapur, where Smt. @priyankagandhi has been illegally held for over 48 hours. The dictatorial BJP rule in the Centre and state is trying to crush the voice of the Opposition. They will not succeed. We will not deter.”

Meanwhile, in a press conference, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he will visit the Lakhimpur Kheri today with two chief ministers — Charanjit singh Channi and Bhupesh Bhagel — to take stock of the incident and to meet the kin of the deceased. However, Lucknow police commissioner DK Thakur had informed that Gandhi did not have the permission to visit the area.

Also read: Press Council seeks report on journalist’s death during Lakhimpur Kheri violence

“If Gandhi arrives in Lucknow, we’ll request him at the airport not to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur. The SP and DM of the two towns have urged us to stop him from coming in the wake of the law and order situation,” Thakur told reporters.

According to reports, internet services were also shut in Bahraich for a few hours on Wednesday morning when the last of the deceased farmers was being cremated but was restored later. Internet services were suspended in Lakhimpur Kheri between 8.30pm on October 3 till 6 pm on Tuesday.

A 29-second video of Sunday’s violence surfaced in which an SUV could be seen ploughing through protesting farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri, killing eight people in total. The SUV reportedly belonged to the convoy of minister of state for home Ajay Mishra who was travelling to receive Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to an event in the area.