SP delegation to visit jailed farmers today; Congress leaders turned back midway

Deepak Bhati, district president of Congress, said their delegation led by three MPs travelled from Delhi to Noida via the DND Flyway with the intention of visiting Luksar jail to meet the arrested farmers. However, they were stopped at Pari Chowk by a police team

Tensions remained high in Gautam Budh Nagar over the arrest of farmers, who took part in the ongoing protests against the administration demanding hiked land compensation and other benefits, as political parties intensify their calls on Wednesday for the immediate release of those still in jail.

The three Congress MPs (in garlands) were turned away from Pari Chowk while on their way to Luksar jail. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

On Wednesday, Congress leader Imran Masood, along with MPs PL Punia and Ujjwal Raman Singh, attempted to meet farmers at Luksar jail in Greater Noida but were unsuccessful.

Samajwadi Party (SP) also announced that a 16-member delegation from their party will visit Luksar jail on Thursday to meet farmers.

The announcement came amid growing concerns among protesters and various political groups over the continued detention of key farmer leaders.

Masood, a key Congress figure, condemned the arrest of farmers and demanded their immediate release, He warned of a massive protest in the district if the detained farmers were not released soon.

“The way farmers are being treated by the administration is nothing short of a grave injustice. If they are not released immediately, we will be forced to launch a massive movement in the district. The government must listen to the annadata (food providers) and set them free,” said the senior Congress leader, in a statement released to media.

The Congress party leaders were not allowed to proceed to the jail on Wednesday. Deepak Bhati, district president of Congress, said their delegation travelled from Delhi to Noida via the DND Flyway with the intention of visiting Luksar jail to meet the arrested farmers. However, they were stopped at Pari Chowk by a police team, which informed them that they could not meet the farmers in jail.

Bhati further said district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma contacted the delegation and invited them to discuss the matter at the collectorate. So the delegation went to the collectorate in Surajpur and pressed for the release of the detained farmers.

Bhati also pointed out that prominent farmer leaders Sukhveer Khalifa from the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad and Rupesh Verma from the All India Kisan Sabha have been housed in the isolation ward. “These are farmers, not criminals, and it is unfair to keep them in isolation. They should be in the general ward with the other farmers,” the delegation told the DM.

Samajwadi Party on Wednesday said a 16-member delegation, including prominent leaders such as Naresh Uttam Patel, Harendra Malik, Lalji Verma, and Kamal Akhtar, will visit Luksar jail on Thursday to meet farmers.

The SP delegation plans to discuss their conditions at jail, and push for their immediate and unconditional release. Additionally, the delegation will engage with administrative officials to address the grievances of farmers.

“As per the directives of party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav, a delegation will visit Gautam Budh Nagar on Thursday to meet the farmers imprisoned there and hold discussions with administrative officials regarding their release,” said Syam Lal Pal, SP state president.

Pawan Khatana, Western UP in-charge of the BKU (Tikait faction), said, “The government’s treatment of farmers is unacceptable. We will continue to fight for justice, and we will not stop until all our leaders are released. The administration must realise that this is not just a political issue, but a fight for the dignity of farmers who feed the nation.”

On Wednesday, 77 agitating farmers were arrested while holding a sit-in at the Zero-Point in Greater Noida and 124 were arrested from Dalit Prerna Sthal in Noida the day prior to that. On Friday, 45 farmers were arrested from Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk and lodged in Luksar jail, HT had reported.