Sonbhadra Massacre: TMC Delegation on Way to Meet Victims’ Families Stopped at Varanasi Airport

At least 10 people, including three women, died and over 24 were injured in a clash between Gond and Gujjar communities over a land dispute in Sonbhadra on Wednesday.

Varanasi: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation, led by party MP Derek O’ Brien, was on Saturday stopped at the Varanasi airport, when the party leaders were on their way to Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh, where 10 people died in a caste violence on Wednesday.

The TMC said that a delegation comprising party senior leaders, including Derek O’Brien, Sunil Mondal, Abhir Ranjan Biswas and former MP Uma Saren, were stopped at the Varanasi airport after they deboarded the plane in Varanasi.

“Trinamool Parliamentary delegation detained at Varanasi airport. ADM, SP have not told us under which section. (“Doing as told from topmost”). We have told them that we will cooperate, wish to meet injured and then proceed to Sonbhadra to meet and give confidence to grieving families,” the TMC said while posting a video of Derek O’Brien and other party leaders.

In the video, Brien said that he and two of his party colleagues, Sunil Mondal, Abhir Ranjan Biswas, were stopped at the airport. “We told them we cannot be detained under section 144 as we are only three. Our intention is we wish to head to the BHU trauma centre to meet the injured and then to Sonbhadra,” the TMC MP can be heard saying in the video.

Earlier on Friday, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi was detained in Mirzapur and taken to Chunar guest house. She was also not allowed to go and meet the victims families in Sonbhadra.

At least 10 people, including three women, died and over 24 were injured in a clash between Gond and Gujjar communities over a land dispute in Sonbhadra on Wednesday. The police have arrested 29 people, including the kingpin Yogesh Dutt, in connection with the violence in Sonbhadra. A case has been filed against 78 people.