New Delhi: Congress leader and former Union minister P. Chidambaram has slammed the Uttar Pradesh police following party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s arrest on her way to Lakhimpur Kheri, saying the force is burying itself in ignorance and ineptitude.
“The sections of law under which Priyanka Vadra has been reportedly charged are laughable. S.151 CrPC contains no offence at all. It is a provision for arrest for a period not exceeding 24 hours. No person can be ‘charged’ under S. 151,S. 107 & 116 of IPC related to abetment. You must say who she abetted. You must say what crime she abetted. Abetment cannot be in the vacuum,” Chidambaram said.
“When she was arrested at 4.30 a.m. on Monday, she was abetting nobody and she was abetting no crime. In fact, the arresting police officer mentioned only S.151 CrPC and no other provision of law and no other crime. The Uttar Pradesh police is burying itself under ignorance and ineptitude,” he added.
Priyanka Gandhi has been formally arrested after a case was registered against her at the Hargaon police station in Sitapur under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including disobeying prohibitory orders and abetment.
The PAC guest house where she has been under detention since Monday, has been notified as a temporary jail. The case, according to official sources, has been filed under Sections 151, 107 and 116, on a report given by the station house officer of Hargaon to the magistrate.
Earlier Tuesday morning, Priyanka Gandhi tweeted a viral video of the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and asked why the person behind the killing of four farmers has not been arrested while she has been under detention without an FIR.
Her party alleged that drones were being used to monitor the movement of Priyanka Gandhi at the PAC guest house.
