Rahul Gandhi stopped at Lucknow Airport, stages dharna

Lucknow/Bhubaneswar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was today stopped at the Lucknow Airport by security staff while he was heading towards Lakhimpur Kheri.

The security staff surrounded him as he refused to be driven to Lakhimpur Kheri in an official car. Gandhi was accompanied by the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Chhattisgarh.

On being stopped, Gandhi staged a dharna at the airport.

“I want to leave the airport but they are not allowing me to leave,” Rahul Gandhi told mediapersons.

Later, the airport authorities allowed Gandhi to travel to Lakhimpur Kheri in a different car.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh government had allowed Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and three others to visit Lakhimpur Kheri to meet the families of the deceased in the Sunday violence at a farmers’ protest.

The decision was taken after a high-level meeting with top officials.

Sources said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also spoken to Chief Minister Adityanath on the issue.