Congress leaders and supporters held a massive protest throughout the state on Monday against alleged defacement of a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Mirzapur on Saturday night.
While State Congress chief Raj Babbar along with Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari rushed to Mirzapur and protested there demanding action against the culprits, in lucknow, senior leaders held a huge protest and burnt effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Yogi Aditynath before marching to Raj Bhawan.
In lucknow, the Congress leaders gathered at the GPO and then they burnt the effigies of PM and CM at Hazratganj crossing. later, a Congress deleagtion led by Rajya Sabha member Pl Punia, former minister Satyadeo Tripathi, Virendra Madan, Sanjay Bajpai, Amarnath Agarwal, DP Singh, Onkar Singh, marched to the Raj Bhawan.
There the angry Congressmen raised slogans against the Modi- and Yogi governments and alleged that they were behind the beheading of Rajiv Gandhi’s statue in Mirzapur.
large contingent of police were deployed to avert any exigency but that could not prevent irked Congress workers and they even marched towards the BJP office to vent their ire. But later they changed their mind and isntead went to Raj Bhawan. In lucknow, some youth Congress members also blocked the rail tracks near Badshah Nagar railway station to lodge their protest.
Meanwhile, Raj Babbar along with other senior leaders held a dharna at the site of the incident in Mirzapur on Mondayafternoon and gave the state government an ultimatum to arrest the culprits immediately failing which they threatened to intensify the stir. Besides Raj Babbar and Pramod Tewari, AICC secretary Rana Goswami, former MP Rajesh Mishra, MlA laliteshpati Tripathi were also present.
“The present situation in UP is pathetic as there is no respect or honour for great personalities. Rajiv Gandhi was not only a Congress leader but a person who and his family sacrificed their lives for the country. We condemn the incident and demand immediate arrest of the culprits,” Babbar said while flaying the Yogi government for failing to control deteriorating law and order in the State.
The statue installed at a park at Awas Vikas colony in Mirzapur city, was found beheaded on by Congress workers on Sunday morning. The severed remains was later recovered from a nearby drain. Anti-social elements had scribbled - ‘Hamari Sarkar hai, usse Pakistan bhej diya hai (It is our government and we have sent it (the head) to Pakistan). Police has registered a case but so no arrestes could be made.