LUCKNOW: On the eve of meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday withdrew criminal cases filed against farmers in Mathura and Aligarh, where Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had not only undertaken padyatra but also vociferously raised their grievances on ‘mindless’ acquisition of the agriculture land.
Akhilesh would meet the Prime Minister on Saturday and also call on President Pratibha Patil.
This would be first time in the last five years that a UP Chief Minister would be meeting the Prime Minister as previous chief minister Mayawati did not meet him even once in her tenure, except during her courtesy call in 2007.
The farmers’ agitation took place in Mathura and Aligarh apart from Noida.
To protest against the police action, which included firing and lathi-charge, Rahul had undertaken the padyatra in 2011, met them personally and during his election campaign had promised justice, if voted to power. It was Rahul’s campaign which had compelled the BSP Government to drop its land acquisition spree and draft a new policy in this regard.