Manipur Congress party on Tuesday carried out a strong protest rally in Imphal against the recent Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri incident that claimed the lives of eight farmers.

 

As the protest rally was carried out on the scheduled route for the movement of Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu who arrived in Imphal on a visit to the state today, the state police personnel intercepted the protesters infront of the western gate of the Kangla Fort and prevented them from proceeding further.

 

Movement of traffic at several places were also disrupted for nearly half an hour during the protest.

 

The protest was led by All India Congress Committee leaders, including Jairam Ramesh and Bhakta Charan Das, MPCC president N Loken and other opposition MLAs.

 

 

During the protest, they demanded unconditional release of AICC general secretary and in-charge of UP, Priyanka Gandhi, who was detained by UP police. They also demanded immediate arrest of the accused involved in the incident of UP's Lakhimpur Kheri that claimed eight lives this week.

 

"The Congress party demands immediate arrest of the accused, who is a son of a Union Minister and condemned the BJP government in UP for not taking up action against the perpetrators of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident," Bhakta Charan Das told media persons.