Uttar Pradesh: Police thwart SP protest, party leaders detained
The Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday scuttled the Samajwadi Party’s planned protest over inflation, unemployment and law and order at the state Legislative Assembly complex, preventing the protesters from gathering at the venue and detaining several leaders.
Party president Akhilesh Yadav termed the police’s alleged misbehaviour with party MLAs and workers a “murder of democracy”. Today, a situation like the Emergency is prevailing and attempts are on to suppress voice of the Opposition, Yadav said.
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The protest was scheduled to start from 11 am in front of the statue of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh at the Assembly complex.
Though the programme was planned under the leader leadership of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, he was not scheduled to join the Wednesday’s agitation, Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders said.
The detained SP leaders were taken to the designated protest site in the Eco Garden by police in buses.
Samajwadi Party MLAs alleged that police personnel manhandled them because of which some of them sustained injuries. Police have refuted the claims.
The party also claimed that police personnel were deployed outside its office and homes of its leaders in Lucknow, hours before the scheduled protest.
The Samajwadi Party alleged that many of its leaders were not even allowed to leave their homes.
Heavy police deployment was also visible near the Assembly complex in the Hazratganj area.
The police personnel deployed outside the SP office stopped party leaders from reaching the Assembly, the outfit alleged.
While the SP leaders tried to go towards the Assembly, they were stopped by police, leading to a ruckus. Party supporters carrying banners against inflation and unemployment also had arguments with police personnel.
The leaders and their supporters were later taken to Eco Garden in a bus, eight kilometres away from the protest venue.
SP MLAs staged a dharna at the Eco Garden and attacked the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state over price rise, unemployment and law and.
Joint Commissioner of Police Piyush Mordia told reporters outside the SP office, “There is no permission to stage a protest in the Legislative Assembly. The protesters are being taken to the Eco Garden, which is the designated spot for holding agitation in the city.” The officer claimed that the SP leaders were taken to the Eco Garden with respect amidst proper security arrangements.
A statement issued by Lucknow Police Commissionerate read, “As per the High Court’s order, the Eco Garden is the designated protest site in Lucknow. General public face problems caused by protests at the Legislative Assembly.” “Because the Legislative Assembly comes under the High Security Zone, no protest is permitted there. In compliance with the High Court order, police have no issues if a protest is held at the Eco Garden,” the statement read.
Samajwadi Party MLA Manoj Pandey told PTI, “I had informed the office of the speaker about our scheduled protest in writing on my letter pad. Our protest was to be held in a peaceful manner. MLAs have the right to enter the Legislative Assembly, yet we were not allowed to go there.” Pandey, the SP’s chief whip in the Assembly, alleged that SP MLAs and leaders were forcibly put into buses.
“I have sustained injuries on the leg and arm after being manhandled by police,” alleged Pandey.
He said party chief Akhilesh Yadav was not scheduled to participate in the protest today. He was monitoring the protest and directing it from the party headquarters, Pandey said.
Pandey said 19 MLAs and 17 former MLAs along with thousands of supporters participated in the protest.
The protest will take place every day till September 18 and more MLAs will keep joining it, he said.
Meanwhile, the party tweeted, “The government should stop killing democracy! Police did not allow SP MLAs, who were going to stage protests to raise issues of public interest in the Legislative Assembly, to leave their homes. Now police are also stopping the media, the fourth pillar of democracy, from speaking to the MLAs. Disgusting.” On Tuesday, the SP announced plans to protest every day for a few hours from September 14 to 18. The monsoon session of the Assembly is scheduled to begin from September 19.
