LUCKNOW: The Congress party on Saturday announced that it will hold the kisan mahapancyat at Numaish maidan in Aligarh. The decision was taken after the district administration of Gautam Bugh Nagar denied permission for holding Mahapanchayat at Bhatta-Parsaul where five persons including three farmers and two police were killed in police-farmer clashes on May 7. While Congress accused the BSP government of trying to prevent its leaders from directly interacting with farmers and raising their issues, the state government rejected all allegations and blamed Congress leaders of creating confusion over the issue and not cooperating with authorities.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders will address the kisan mahapanchayat being held to raise the issues related to farmers, particularly forcible land acquisition on throwaway prices for industrial and urbanisation by the Mayawati government. Subodh Srivastava, Congress spokesperson, said that the state government is afraid of Rahul Gandhi's popularity among farmers as he is the only leader who took part in agitation at Bhatta-Parsaul against police brutalities on the villagers on May 7. He said that the Congress party decided to shift the venue to Aligarh because of the uncertainty over permission for holding mahapanchayat at Bhatta-Parsaul. The state government, he said, was not willing to grant permission to Congress for holding the Mahapanchayat but was forced to do so because of public pressure and widespread criticism.

However, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration issued a press release denying allegations levelled by the Congress party and accused its leaders of creating confusion by changing venue several times. District magistrate (DM) Hridayesh Kumar, who had taken charge on Friday, said that the residents of Bhatta-Parsaul and adjoining villages had written to the administration on June 2 requesting not to allow politicisation of the issue as it aggravates the problem instead of providing any solution. Kumar said that Congress leaders had submitted the application on June 29 seeking permission for mahapanchayat at Bhatta-Parsaul. The party was informed by the administration that the village is in remote area where it will be difficult to provide security to VVIPs likely to attend the mahapanchayat, he said.

The Congress submitted another application on June 30 for holding mahapanchayat in Jevar block and filed yet another application on July 2 for approval to hold the event at Jevar, DanKaur, Bilaspur or Dadri. Later, he said, the Congress submitted an application again seeking permission to hold the event at City Centre or Ramlila Ground in Noida. The administration approved the proposal of Ramlila Ground, he added.

The police-farmer clash at Bhatta-Parsaul on May 7 had left five dead which included two policemen and three farmers. Later, unleashed terror in the village by arresting scores of farmers and allegedly setting afire crops, vehicles and houses. The farmers of Bhatta-Parsaul have been demanding better deal for their land acquired by the state government for construction Yamuna Expressway and associated projects. Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC was imposed in the area after the incident. However, Rahul sneaked into the village on May 11 and staged a day long agitation before being arrested in the night by the police citing breach of peace as a reason.