By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Tuesday said the party would continue to protest till the agitating farmers of Bhatta Parsaul village in Greater Noida, which was hit by violence over land acquisition, gets justice from the Uttar Pradesh government.
The statement came a day after Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi took a team of farmers from the village to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and complained about “repression” of farmers.
Speaking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: “Bhatta Parsaul (village) is crying out for justice. Men are missing, women have been molested, children have not been spared and houses have been plundered.”
“If the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) government of Uttar Pradesh feels that everything is hunky dory then why don’t they agree to a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) investigation? Why don’t they agree to a judicial enquiry? Why does Bhatta Parsaul still resemble a cantonment? Why aren’t journalists being given access to that place? Why are NHRC teams not being allowed to visit that place,” he asked.
He said: “Today, Bhatta Parsaul’s soul cries out for justice and till that justice is not delivered, the crusade of the Congress party will continue.”
He said the BSP is responsible for the “atrocities in Bhatta Parsaul” and it is the “mission” of the Congress to provide justice to the people.
Rahul Gandhi Monday took eight farmers from the area to meet the prime minister and alleged that women had been raped and people had found 74 heaps of ashes with dead bodies inside after the May 7 violence when villagers clashed with police. He also handed over pictures of burnt bodies, ashes with bones and ransacked houses to the prime minister and later to the media.
Four people, including two policemen, were killed May 7 when villagers clashed with policemen for higher compensation for their lands acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government for developmental projects.