'Shehzadi' Priyanka politicising tribals' killing: Yogi

The war of words between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra intensified on Friday with the former terming the latter as 'shehzadi' and accusing her of ''politicising'' the recent killing of ten tribals in the state's Sonbhadra district over a land dispute.

''The shehzadi of Congress is trying to politicise the tragic killing of the tribals,'' Adityanath said while addressing the residents of Umbha village in the district, where the massacre had taken place in July this year, on Friday.

''The incident happened as a result of the sins committed by the Congress several decades back,'' the chief minister said.

Adityanath also handed over ownership documents of lands to the kin of the victims of the carnage and announced schemes worth several hundred crore to develop the village.

Priyanka had earlier met the kin of the Sonebhadra carnage victims at Umbha village and had accused the BJP government in the state of ''harassing'' the innocent villagers.

Ten members of a tribal community, including women, were killed and around two dozen others injured, some seriously, in a violent clash over land in the village, about 500 kilometres from here.

The clashes had erupted after the 'pradhan' (village panchayat chief), who was accompanied by armed supporters, had tried to take possession of the land, tilled by the tribals for several decades.

More than two dozen people, including the 'pradhan', were arrested in this regard.