Sachin Pilot held on way to Bhatta-Parsaul, released (Second Lead)
May 22nd, 2011 - 7:16 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot was released Sunday by Uttar Pradesh police after a brief arrest when the Congress leader tried to make his way to Bhatta-Parsaul village in Greater Noida, but said he would get the prosecuted villagers justice.
Pilot, who was on his way to Bhatta-Parsaul after visiting villagers lodged in the Dasna jail near Ghaziabad, was stopped and arrested near Lal Kuan on National Highway 24.
He was detained under section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code and was taken to a nearby police station and later escorted back to his Delhi residence.
“What we wanted to do was that people who were detained were worried about their families and they were not able to express their concerns because of fear of atrocities,” Pilot said after his release and before being escorted back to Delhi.
“We not only wanted to go to Bhatta-Parsaul but also to surrounding villages who have been given notice for acquiring land. The police blocked the national highway for over an hour then without giving any reason detained us, brought us to the police lines saying that you will break law and order,” he added.
Bhatta-Parsaul hit the headlines May 7 when four people, including two policemen, were killed when villagers clashed with policemen while agitating for higher compensation for their lands acquired by the Uttar Pradesh government for developmental projects.
Some 25 villagers are said to have been detained, though police were silent about this.
Most men aged between 18-55 fled their homes following the incident, fearing a crackdown by security forces.
“We are not breaking any law. We were going to Bhatta-Parsaul to console the families of villagers. My arrest is unjustified,” said Pilot, before police took him away.
“I condemn whatever has happened here (at Bhatta-Parsaul) and will make sure that justice happens. Uttar Pradesh government should wake up now.”
Pilot joins a list of Congress Leaders who have tried to put the Mayawati-led state government on the mat on the issue of forcibly acquiring land from the villagers around Greater Noida.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and senior party leader Digvijay Singh, both had been to the Bhatta-Parsaul, after the which the Gandhi scion alleged that people had been killed and women raped by the state police.
Blasting the Uttar Pradesh government for defending the police action against the agitating farmers, Gandhi said that the battle he had launched for the farmers would be taken to every village in the state.
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- Sachin Pilot arrested on way to Bhatta-Parsaul (Lead) - May 22, 2011
- Sachin Pilot visits jailed Bhatta-Parsaul villagers - May 22, 2011
- Rahul Gandhi detained in Uttar Pradesh village - May 12, 2011
- Rahul's march to get feedback on land policy: Digvijay - Jul 05, 2011
- I am with you, Rahul tells farmers in Mayawati land (Second Lead) - Jul 05, 2011
- Bhatta-Parsaul 'rape': Panel warns Uttar Pradesh - Oct 24, 2011
- Rahul springs surprise, in Mayawati land again (Lead) - Jul 05, 2011
- Bhatta-Parsaul report still in process: NHRC - Jun 23, 2011
- From Bhatta-Parsaul, Rahul leads campaign against Mayawati (Roundup) - Jul 05, 2011
- 16 cops booked for Bhatta-Parsaul 'excesses' - Oct 10, 2011
- Campaign to spread across Uttar Pradesh: Rahul Gandhi - May 18, 2011
- From Bhatta Parsaul, Rahul takes forward campaign against Mayawati (Intro Roundup) - Jul 05, 2011
- Rights panel finalises Bhatta-Parsaul report - Jul 05, 2011
- Rahul plans to address Bhatta-Parsaul farmers - Jun 30, 2011
Tags: atrocities, congress leader, crackdown, criminal procedure code, developmental projects, fear, greater noida, headlines, lal, law and order, minister of state, nearby police station, New Delhi, pi, pilot, police lines, policemen, section 151, security forces, uttar pradesh government