UP Cong chief dragged while on dharna over buses for migrants; FIR against him, Priyanka Gandhi's Secretary in Lucknow

An FIR has been registered against Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's personal secretary Sandeep Singh and party's Uttar Pradesh chief Ajay Kumar Lallu in Hazratganj Police station of Lucknow on Tuesday, police said.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief was dragged and removed by the police from the Agra-Rajasthan border in Uncha Nangla area where he had staged a sit-in protest demanding that buses, his party had arranged to ferry back migrants to their homes, be allowed to enter Uttar Pradesh.

Policemen were seen holding him by his feet and shoulders and dragging him away from the spot.

Lallu was joined by other Congress workers while he was staging the protest against the Uttar Pradesh government.

According to Uttar Pradesh Police, the buses deployed by the Congress party to carry migrants to their homes in Rajasthan did not have any permit which is required amid the lockdown for inter-state movement.

"As per MHA guidelines you need to apply for permission for inter-state bus movement after which a pass is issued and permission is granted. They had not applied and did not have a pass. So they were not allowed to enter. He (Lallu) has not been arrested," SP rural (west), Agra, Ravi Kumar told .

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's office termed the Uttar Pradesh government's 'demand of handing-over 1,000 buses' which Congress wants to ply for ferrying stranded migrant labourers, as not only a waste of time and resources but an inhumane act too.

Sandeep Singh, Private Secretary of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote to Awsh Awasthi, Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary (Home) in which he said: "We received your letter via email late night at 11:40 pm asking us to handover 1,000 buses along with required documents in Lucknow at 10 am."

"Migrant workers are stranded at Uttar Pradesh border, especially Delhi-UP border. At a time when thousands of them are walking on roads and have gathered at Uttar Pradesh border for registration, sending 1,000 empty buses to Lucknow is not only a waste of time and resources but also inhumane," Singh added.

On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government had agreed to Congress General Secretary's request to run 1,000 buses for migrant labourers.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Avnish Awasthi wrote to the personal secretary of Gandhi informing her in this regard and also sought details of the 1,000 buses.

( With inputs from ANI )