Varanasi/Noida, May 11 (ANI): Commenting on Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida, which has seen violent protests by farmers over land acquisition, Uttar Pradesh Congress committee chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi today said that he is committed to the farmers' cause.
Addressing mediapersons in Varanasi, Joshi said: "Rahul Gandhi is sitting with around 400-500 villagers and listening to their woes. Rahul Gandhi is sitting in a non-violent demonstration. He has violated Section 144 (prohibition of assembly of five or more people armed with deadly weapons). The villagers, who had run away from the village are now returning slowly through the fields and the forest area."
"Rahul Gandhi inspected each house in the village. He has found out that police officials have looted the village. Bones have been found from the ash in the village. Villagers have been killed in the village and burnt there. There has been brutal attack on the innocent villagers of Bhatta Parsaul since past four days," she added.
Joshi further said the Central Government would ask for a detailed report from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on the basis of a letter of acquisition submitted by Gandhi.
"Since security arrangements are the duty of the State Government, so it is not possible for the Central Government to take action in the matter. The Prime Minister and the Home Minister can surely ask for a report from the State Government on the basis of letter of acquisition submitted by Rahul Gandhi," she said.
Joining the farmers' agitation, Rahul Gandhi sat on a dharna at the epicentre of recent violence in Greater Noida district, after he entered the village riding pillion on a motorcycle on Wednesday morning.
Gandhi, who reached the village at 6 a.m., demanded a judicial inquiry into the firing incidents following violent clashes between police and farmers protesting Uttar Pradesh Government's land acquisition and compensation policy.
The farmers have been agitating since January demanding higher compensation for their lands acquired by the state government.
Their demand is that only half their lands should be acquired, while the rest should be handed over to the farmers after development.
They also want 25 percent reservation for farmers in all schemes of Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway.
The farmers have also been demanding that the authorities should give 120 square metre plots to landless farmers and a compensation of Rs. 5,00,000 for each acre of acquired land. (ANI)
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