Lucknow: Seven Congress MLAs and scores of
party workers were today arrested in Rae Bareli while
attempting to proceed towards Dalmau, where two UP government
ministers are scheduled to inaugurate a bridge.
PWD Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui had inaugurated the
one-km bridge, constructed over Ganga at a function in the
state capital yesterday itself, though it was scheduled to be
thrown open for public today.
"Scores of party workers were arrested this afternoon
while they were proceedings towards Dalmau to protest against
inauguration of a bridge on the site by PWD Minister along
with Panchayati Raj Minister Swami Prasad Maurya," Congress
spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh told PTI.
He said the arrested party workers were taken to
government inter college which has been converted into a
makeshift jail.
Among those arrested included all the seven MLAs of
Rae Bareli constituency and local representatives of Sonia
Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress had yesterday submitted a memorandum with
Uttar Pradesh Governor B L Joshi demanding him to get the
minister's programme cancelled.
The party MLAs said that the bridge on Ganga river at
Dalmau was constructed with the efforts of UPA chairperson
Sonia Gandhi through funds provided by Union Ministry of
Surface Transport.
"Even though the Congress national president was
scheduled to inaugurate the bridge in the second week of
March, the state government decided to get it opened by a
minister," a Congress MLA alleged.
Union Minister of State for Surface Transport R P N
Singh was also stopped at Munshiganj by police while he was on
his way to Dalmau to inspect the bridge.
In the meantime, PWD Minister Siddiqui inaugurated the
bridge one day in advance at a hurriedly held function in the
state capital, some 130 kms from Dalmau.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 04, 2010, 16:09