Family members of Sonbhadra clash victims meet Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called off her dharna after the Uttar Pradesh government bowed to her demand and allowed a few members of Sonbhadra carnage victims' families to meet her on Saturday.

The Congress leader blasted the Yogi Adityanath government over alleged deteriorating law and order situation and vowed to fight for the right of the tribal people over the land they had been tilling for decades.

Priyanka, who had been taken into custody on Friday after she embarked on a dharna on the road following denial of permission from the officials to proceed to Umbhi village in Sonbhadra district, where 10 tribal people were killed over a land dispute on Wednesday, spent the night in detention at the guest house at Chunar in Mirzapur district, about 300 kilometre from here.

According to police sources here, some relatives of the victims were allowed to meet the Congress leader. Priyanka in a Twitter post alleged that 15 others, who had also come, were not allowed to meet her.

''The women burst into tears when Priyanka consoled them and assured them that the party would fight on their behalf,'' said senior Congress leader Ajai Rai, who was also present there.

The victims' kin said that they were being "harassed" for several years and several false cases were lodged against them by the 'pradhan' of the village, who was the main culprit in the carnage.

"Is it a crime to wipe away their tears? This government lacks sensitivity," she said.

Earlier senior officials, who had rushed to the guest house late on Friday night, tried to persuade Priyanka to call off her dhrana and not to insist on meeting the families of the victims but she remained adamant.

Sources said that the power and water supply to the guest house had been cut off allegedly to "force" her to leave.

Twenty nine people, including the main culprit the 'pradhan' (panchayat chief) of Umbhi village Yagyadutt Bhurtia, tried to take possession of around 200 'bighas' (a unit to measure the area of the agricultural field) in the village.

The tribals, who had been tilling the land for the past several years, resisted the attempt, following which the 'pradhan' and his goons, who were armed with guns, opened fire at the tribals killing ten people.