Cong focuses on 'Pratigya Rally' in Varanasi on Oct 10

Varanasi, Oct 8 (IANS) After the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, the Congress has shifted its focus on the 'Pratigya Rally' in Varanasi, which is to be addressed by party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday.

This will be the first rally to be organised by the Congress in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh election as it is the Prime Minister's constituency and the Congress has geared up to make it a grand success.

Vishwa Vijay Singh, Vice President of the Uttar Pradesh Congress told IANS, "This rally will be organised in Varanasi and the Congress workers of eight districts have been put on work to mobilise people for this." The districts include Mirzapur, Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Jaunpur, Azamgarh, Mau, and Ballia.

The Congress is hoping to mobilise a good crowd after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident where farmers were killed allegedly by the son of a Union Minister.

Party MLA Deepak Singh said: "From Varanasi, the Congress will take pledge that they will fulfill all the promises. From here, the message will be taken to each constituency that the party will do whatever they will promise as we have done in Chhattisgarh."

Priyanka Gandhi, who has taken up the farmers' cause in the state, and Congress leaders say that this is high time to reestablish the party in the state as except the Congress, no other party is taking up the cause of the people and highlighting their sufferings.

Priyanka Gandhi on Thursday demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court or a high court into the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. She also said that Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son is among those booked, should resign to ensure an impartial probe.

"In my view and that of the victims' families as well, the case should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge, and not the retired judge," she said.

The state government, on Thursday, had appointed retired high court judge Pradeep Srivastava to probe the Lakhimpur violence.