UP Dy CM hits out at Priyanka, says Sonbhadra firing case shouldn't be politicised

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Saturday accused Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi of politicising the Sonbhadra firing incident and said no one should "do politics on sensitive issues".

"The government has imposed Section 144 in Sonbhadra. If you will use the Sonbhadra firing incident to fulfill your political ambitions, it is incorrect. No one should do politics on sensitive issues," Sharma told .

His response came after Priyanka met members of families of victims.

He said the government is committed to maintaining peace across the state.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka announced that Congress will give Rs 10 lakh each as compensation to next of kin of those killed in the firing incident and demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government should pay a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each.

"My objective has been served as I have met them (victims of Sonbhadra firing). I am still under detention, let's see what the administration says. The Congress party will pay Rs 10 lakh each as compensation to next of kin of Sonbharda firing victims," she told the media.

She demanded a fair probe into the incident.

The Congress leader asserted that tribals should get ownership rights to land that they have cultivated for decades and "cases registered against them should be withdrawn".

Priyanka met kin of victims after an hour-long drama and expressed her condolences to them.

The women from the families of victims cried as they met Priyanka.

A member of the family of one of the victims said they decided to come and meet her as the administration did not allow her to visit them.

"We got to know that Priyanka didi has come to meet us, but the administration arrested her and took her to a place where no one could meet her. So, we decided to come and meet her in Chunar," he said.

After meeting families of victims, Priyanka returned to the Chunar Guest House, where she spent the night after her detention by Uttar Pradesh police.

She was detained at Varanasi on her way to meet+ the kin of those killed in the July 17 Sonbhadra firing incident as police said that Section 144 was imposed in the area. From Vanarasi she was taken to Chunar guest house in Mirzapur.

The incident took place in Ubbha village of Ghorawal after the village head went to take possession of a disputed piece of land and resorted to firing in which 10 tribals were killed.

Apart from Congress, other opposition parties have also slammed Modi government over the firing incident.

( With inputs from ANI )