Amid a high voltage face-off, the Uttar Pradesh police on Wednesday stopped the main Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs from going to protest at the Vidhan Bhavan in Lucknow.
The SP announced that before the Assembly session its MLAs would hold a four-hour dharna against inflation, unemployment and the law-and-order situation in the State among other issues from September 14-18 in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue in the Vidhan Bhavan. As the SP MLAs and leaders gathered in their office at Vikramaditya Marg on Wednesday morning, the police personnel — stationed there in large numbers — barricaded the entire area and stopped them from reaching the proposed venue. Many SP MLAs and leaders were detained by the police at Vikramaditya Marg and taken to Eco Garden.
“As per the High Court orders, the people can hold protests only inside the Eco Garden. The Samajwadi Party MLAs detained by the police were sent to Eco Garden. Police security is to be provided in Eco Garden,” said Piyush Mordia, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order).
SP president and former U.P. CM Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the police misbehaved with his MLAs and said the State was facing an emergency-like situation. “In a murder of democracy, the BJP government has locked the Samajwadi Party MLAs, leaders, workers and office-bearers under house arrest since night,” he said.
“Teaching a lesson for dictatorial attitude”
Mr. Yadav added that the people would teach the ruling party a lesson for the dictatorial attitude in 2024. “The BJP government is suppressing the voice of the people in a democracy. The people will teach a lesson to this dictatorial government of BJP in 2024. The Socialists are not going to be suppressed or be afraid of government repression. Peaceful sit-in protests over public problems and issues of public interest are the democratic rights of the Opposition. The BJP government is continuously violating the democratic rights of the people,” added Mr. Yadav.
The SP decided to organise the protest especially against harassment, bulldozers being run on the houses of the poor, the payment of cane dues to the farmers and the suicide of farmers.
