Lucknow: Samajwadi workers on Wednesday clashed
with police after Akhilesh Yadav and other senior party
leaders were arrested on the last day of their 72-hour
agitation against the Mayawati government.
In Lucknow, SP state president Akhilesh Yadav was
arrested after heated debate with policemen as soon as he came
out of Amausi airport here from New Delhi.
"The state government is working in an autocratic
manner. Is this the way to arrest...," Akhilesh said. The SP
leader, scheduled to visit his constituency Kannauj, was
pushed inside a car by policemen.
Soon after the arrest, Samajwadi workers gathered at
Hazratganj crossing where police lathicharged to disperse
them. A number of workers were injured in the lathicharge, SP
leaders said.
SP workers also burnt BSP flags at Darul Shafa to
register their protest. Among those arrested included party MP
Reoti Raman Singh and former MP Ramji Lal Suman (Allababad),
Balram Yadav (Azamgarh).
According to reports from Ambedkar Nagar, Sant Kabir
Nagar, Etah, several workers were injured in police
lathicharge.
The Uttar Pradesh government had placed Samajwadi
supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh under house
arrest on March 7.
Terming the Samajwadi Party`s agitation as a
"flopshow", BSP state president Swami Prasad Maurya said that
the opposition party had lost its base. On the other hand, SP
leader Arvind Singh Gope termed the state as a major success.
Special DG, Law and Order Brijlal told reporters that
only 434 Samajwadi Party workers were arrested today.
"In the three days of the SP agitation, 3,109 persons
were arrested in different parts of the state," the officer
added.
PTI
