The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab delegation was released on Wednesday afternoon after being detained by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) police for about 18 hours; to meet the families of the farmers killed by Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra in Lakhimpur Kheri.The delegation, led by AAP Punjab co-in-charge Raghav Chadha and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema, was on its way to Lakhimpur Kheri on Tuesday evening; when they were detained by the UP police. Due to heavy political pressure from the AAP, the UP police had to release not only the Punjab delegation on Wednesday afternoon, but the UP police and the administration also had to give permission to meet the aggrieved families of the martyred farmers.After this, the AAP delegation first visited the house of Nachhatar Singh, a martyred farmer of village Dhaurahra in Lakhimpur district. The delegation also shared grief with the family of slain local journalist Raman Kashyap. The other members of the delegation included Kisan Wing state president and MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan, MLAs Prof Baljinder Kaur and Amarjit Singh Sandoa; while party’s Rajya Sabha member and UP affairs in-charge Sanjay Singh was also present along with the local leaders.
Disclosing this in a statement issued from the party headquarters, Raghav Chadha said that while sharing his grief with the family members of the martyred farmer, he (Chadha) made the family members of the victim talk to AAP's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on phone. According to Chadha, “Expressing sympathy with the family members of the victims, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has assured that the Aam Aadmi Party would extend all possible legal and financial assistance to all the aggrieved farming families. Will always stand by them and will be available on the phone anytime.”Raghav Chadha said the delegation assured the families of the victims of all help and firm support including free legal aid. He said the Aam Aadmi Party has firmly stood with the country's ‘annadatas’ against the dictatorship of the BJP government and will continue to stand till the farmers’ movement wins. On this occasion, Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Modi and the Yogi government should give up their ego and listen to the voice of the farmers and laborers and immediately repeal all the black farm laws and should give MSP legal guarantee for procurement of all crops.