Joining the farmers' agitation against the Mayawati government, Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna at the epicentre of recent violence in this district after he entered the village riding pillion on a motorcyle giving the local police a slip before dawn on Wednesday.
The Congress general secretary, who landed at Bhatta Parsaul village in this Delhi suburb at about 4 00 AM, demanded a judicial inquiry into the firing incidents following violent clashes between police and farmers protesting Uttar Pradesh government's land acquisition and compensation policy. Four persons including two policemen were killed in the violence last Saturday.
Rahul, who was also joined by party colleague Digvijay Singh, sat on a day-long dharna at the Choupal at Parsaul village after he heard villagers for several hours narrate the alleged atrocities committed on them by the UP police.
SDM Vishal Singh met Rahul and asked him to end the dharna in view of the potential security risk to him in view of the situation in the area. Vishal Singh also expressed inability to provide security as he had come without intimation.
But the young Congress leader told the official that unless their demands are met he will not leave the village. The demands also included release of detained farmers.
Digvijay Singh said till a judicial inquiry submitted a report no action should be taken against the farmers in respect of Firs lodged against them. He also demanded that all arrested farmers be released and that there should not be any forcible land acquisition.
IG police Rajni Kant Mishra was in constant touch with top state government officials in Lucknow to seek directions on how to deal the tricky situation arising out of Rahul's dharna.
The strong police force deployed at the Bhatta Parsaul village apparently failed to notice Rahul when he reached there in a mobike in the dark.
It was only when he began meeting farmers and heard their grievances that the policemen recognised the young Congress leader, who has often slipped out of his security cordon in the past to meet people. The identity of the driver of the mobike was not known immediately.
Senior officers told Rahul that the state adminstration too has requested the villagers to return home as there was no fear for innocent farmers. Police was only targeting the anti — social elements who had fired at police team and caused rioting, they said.
Some of the villagers also showed Rahul injuries inflicted on them allegedly by the police. They all claimed that all young males have either been detained by police or have left the village out of fear. The villagers claimed they were holding peaceful demonstration since January 17.
Digvijay Singh alleged that while farmers are beinggiven land compensation of just Rs 600 to Rs.700 per sq m. Mayawati's relatives are taking bribe of Rs 3,000 per sq m from private builders for allotment of land.
What is the harm in giving the farmers compensation of Rs 1,200 to Rs.1,500 per sq m?, he asked.
Further, he claimed that Haryana's land acquisition's policy was pro-farmer and there were no clashes there for aquiring land. In UP, rehabilitation policy needs amendment to make it acceptable to farmers, Singh said.
An elderly woman told Rahul that PAC men had allegedly manhandled the women members of the family in the name of conducting a search after the clashes broke out.
Another elderly man showed injuries on his body inflicted allegedly due to the baton charge by policemen.
Rahul assured the farmers full support and promised that they will get proper land compensation, according to the villagers.
While blaming Mayawati's BSP government for the atrocities committed on farmers, he requested the farmers to shun violence, they said.
After four persons, including two policemen, were killed on Saturday's clashes between police and farmers in Greater Noida, the place has turned into a political battleground for political parties. The opposition has flayed the UP government for its land acquisition policy.
The Amethi MP had last year visited Tappal Village in Aligarh district taking the local police by surprise when he went to meet farmers who had launched a protest demanding higher compensation for the land acquired by the Mayawati government for the Yamuna expressway project.
Farmers in Greater Noida and adjoining areas are demanding more compensation from the Mayawati government for their land.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had yesterday assured a delegation of Rashtriya Lok Dal leaders in Delhi that the government will move the crucial bill to amend the Land Acquisition Act in the coming session of Parliament.
In the wake of the ongoing agitation over land acquisition, farmers held a panchayat under the leadership of Jitender Nagar in Mahrauli village of Ghaziabad district on Tuesday and refused to part with their land.
The farmers went on a door-to-door campaign to mobilise support and asked villagers to press the government to give them back their acquired land.