Priyanka’s arrest unconstitutional, don’t turn democracy into dictatorship: Vadra

New Delhi, July 19: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra on Friday lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government for detaining his wife, saying the dispensation should immediately release her and not let democracy turn into dictatorship.

The Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East was on Friday detained and stopped from going to Sonbhadra, where 10 people were gunned down this week.

Gandhi was taken to a guesthouse after she squatted on the road, insisting that she be allowed to proceed, UP Police officials said. "The way my wife and Congress leader, Priyanka, has been arrested, is completely unconstitutional. No documents were produced for the arrest," Vadra tweeted.

This is a complete abuse of law in every respect, he alleged. "Is it a crime to visit the family of the deceased?" Vadra said. Does this government want to suppress every voice that sides with the truth, he wondered.

"The state government should immediately release her and let democracy be a democracy and not a dictatorship," he added.

The Sonbhadra shootout acquired a sharp political edge with Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, alleging Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was "illegally" arrested and the Uttar Pradesh government was attempting to crush democracy, while the local police maintained that she was just detained in Narainpur in the state's Mirzapur district.

Ten people were killed and 18 injured in the clash between supporters of the village head and Gond tribals over a piece of land in Sonbhadra's Ghorawal area on Wednesday.