RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday launched a frontal attack on the BJP governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, terming the incident as a "blot on humanity".
He alleged that the incident was nothing short of a blatant display of "majoritarian cruelty".
Eight people were killed including farmers and BJP workers -- as violence erupted on Sunday during a farmers' protest ahead of UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to Lakhimpur.
"The heinous incident in Lakhimpur yesterday is a blot on humanity and a blatant display of majoritarian cruelty by the ruling party in UP and at the Centre. I strongly condemn their undemocratic attempts to detain all opposition leaders from meeting the bereaved families of the victims," Soren tweeted.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and his deputy Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Monday were denied permission to visit Lakhimpur Kheri by the Uttar Pradesh government.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other party leaders were detained in Sitapur, with the party alleging they were not allowed to meet the victims of the violence.