Priyanka calls off protest, blames UP govt for 'chaos'

Lucknow, July 16 Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called off her 'maun vrat' after two-and-a-half hours and said that it was in protest against the chaos prevailing in Uttar Pradesh, here on Friday.

Talking briefly to reporters, Priyanka said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Varanasi on Thursday, had said that Yogi Adityanath has successfully handled the Covid-19 pandemic and UP is now moving ahead on the path of development.

"The Yogi Adityanath government held panchayat elections during the pandemic after which several teachers, who were on poll duty, succumbed to Covid. The BJP did not get the desired results so it resorted to violence, threats, intimidation and even kidnapping in the second and third phase of the polls. Women were threatened, their clothes were ripped off and the candidates' nomination papers were torn. Is this democracy," she asked.

Priyanka further said that chaos was spread by the state government and it was surprising that it had the approval of the Prime Minister.