Rahul Gandhi criticises PM Modi for not visiting Lakhimpur Kheri despite attending events in Uttar Pradesh

New Delhi, Oct 6: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to meet the bereaved families of Lakhimpur violence despite attending events in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

"Farmers are being mowed down by a jeep, they are being murdered, and the name of a union minister and his son is coming up in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident. Yesterday, PM visited Lucknow but he did not visit Lakhimpur Kheri. It is a systematic attack on farmers," the ANI quotes Gandhi as saying while addressing media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Uttar Pradesh to inaugurate "Azadi@75 -- New Urban India: Transforming Urban Landscape" conference-cum-expo on Tuesday in Lucknow and also launched many development projects.

The Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi had planned to visit Lakhimpur Kheri on Wednesday to express solidarity with the families of the four farmers killed in the violence. However, the UP government has denied the permission.

"The government has denied permission to Rahul Gandhi. If he arrives in Lucknow, we will request him at the airport not to visit Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur. Superintendent of Police (SP) and District Magistrate (DM) of Lakhimpur and Sitapur urged us to stop him from coming in wake of local law and order situation," said Lucknow Police Commissioner.

The District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri has imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which prohibits assembly of five or more people at a time, following the Sunday incident.

However, Rahul Gandhi will now be visiting the place with the two Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states. "Today, with two CMs we will visit Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh to understand the situation there and support the farmers' families," he said.

When asked whether Congress was politicising the issue, Gandhi said, "It is your (media) responsibility to raise this issue, but when we ask questions, raise the issue, then, you (media) say that we are doing politics."

On Sunday, a jeep allegedly driven by Union Minister Ajay Mishra's son mowed down a few farmers, triggering violence killing eight, including four farmers in Lakhimpur Kheri.