Priyanka tells Congress workers in Rae Bareli: We are with you

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi met the District Panchayat members of Rae Bareli who are facing wrath of District Administration for demanding no-confidence motion against the Chairman of District Panchayat, who happens to be the brother of the BJP candidate from Rae Bareli, Dinesh Pratap Singh.

Priyanka asked members not to get intimidated by the henchmen of local BJP leader. “They attacked our legislator and party workers, which is a clear indication that BJP is frustrated and Congress is moving ahead on the right path,” she told the members.

“This is a dharamyudh and we are with you,” Priyanka told the members in Tilak Bhawan in Rae Bareli where she reached cancelling her prior engagements. Congress legislator Aditi Singh, who was attacked along with her supporters on Tuesday was also present in the meeting.

Priyanka said that Panchayat members were going to cast their votes when this happened. “We had earlier told  district administration that this may happen despite that no precaution was taken. An FIR should be filed against the district administration too,” Priyanka said.

She also spoke to Rakesh Awasthi, the Congress worker who was accompanying Aditi Singh, and was severely beaten up by the BJP goons. “Do not be afraid. We are with you,” Priyanka told the Congress leader. “I came to Rae Bareli and here I came to know that you are shifted to Lucknow.  I will also speak to doctor,” she said.

Rakesh Awasthi was dragged out of vehicle and was taken away by the assailant. He was later thrown out of a moving car.

“I was told that the BJP goons tried to crush you under the wheels of the car. Hadd hee kar di (They have crossed limits),” Priyanka told Awasthi whose voice was choked with emotion and requested Priyanka to pay him a visit in Lucknow. “I have a programme in Varanasi and Salempur today and will try to meet you tomorrow,” Priyanka assured the ailing Awasthi.

Aditi and her cavalcade was attacked on Tuesday when she was going to vote against Chairman District Panchayat Awadhesh Pratap Singh, brother of Dinesh Pratap Singh, the BJP leader who is the party candidate against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli. Aditi was injured in the attack.

The attack took place near Bachhrawan Toll Plaza on the Lucknow-Rae Bareli highway. According to an eye witness, the vehicle of the MLA and panchayat members were fired at while the supporters of the chairman armed with lathis damaged three vehicles.

No-confidence motion against the present chairman Awadhesh Pratap Singh was to be taken up at the district collectorate on Tuesday on the directive of the Allahabad High Court. The Congress leaders claim that  31 members had supported the no-confidence against Awadhesh Pratap Singh which had irked the BJP leaders.

Congress MLC Deepak Singh said the district authorities were harassing district panchayat members who had brought the no-confidence motion. “The BJP goons cannot intimidate us. We will take this fight to its conclusive end,” he said.

Congress leader said they will move the court against what happened on Tuesday.