'Will march towards Lakhimpur Kheri’: Sidhu issues open threat ‘if Priyanka Gandhi is not released’

New Delhi, Oct 05: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday warned the Uttar Pradesh government that the Punjab Congress will lead a march to UP's Lakhimpur district, if the accused is not arrested, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is in police custody since yesterday, is not released.

"If, by tomorrow, the Union Minister's son behind the brutal murder of farmers is not arrested, and our leader @PriyankaGandhi being unlawfully arrested, fighting for farmers is not released, the Punjab Congress will march towards Lakhimpur Kheri! (sic)," Sidhu tweeted.

Priyanka Gandhi has been arrested and a case of defying prohibitory orders has been registered. She was trying to enter Lakhimpur-Kheri.

She had been placed under house arrest in Lucknow. However she evaded it and left along with several other Congress leaders to Lakhimpur-Kheri where 8 people had been killed in clashes between the protesting farmers and the convoy of Union Minister, Ajay Misra's son.

However five hours later, Priyanka had been intercepted at Hargaon. She was detained along with several other Congress leaders. Reports said that she had been arrested at around 4.30 pm on October 4. The police have registered cases under Section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) and 107 (security for keeping the peace in other cases).

She is currently detained at a PAC guest house in Sitapur, which has been converted into a temporary jail to house the Congress leader.

Eight people were killed Sunday as violence erupted during a farmers'' protest claiming the lives of both farmers and BJP workers ahead of a visit to Lakhimpur.

Four of the dead were farmers, allegedly knocked down by vehicles driven by BJP workers. The others were BJP workers and a driver who were allegedly pulled out of the vehicles and lynched by the protesters.

The UP Police has lodged a case against Union minister Ajay Mishra''s son but no arrest has been made so far.