Farmers protest: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav detained after he sits on dharna; writes to LS Speaker on breach of privilege

Akhilesh Yada said, "We want the Centre to repeal the new farm laws. They should tell the farmers, when will they bring the Minimum Support Price (MSP) that will double the farmers' income?."

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was taken into custody here on Monday (December 7) after the party leaders led by him broke through a security cordon to sit on a dharna to oppose the new farm bills against which farmers have given a call for 'Bharat Bandh' on Tuesday.

The Samajwadi Party chief said "We want the Centre to repeal the new farm laws. They should tell the farmers, when will they bring the Minimum Support Price (MSP) that will double the farmers' income?."

"If the new farm laws are intended to help the farmers, then why are they on the warpath? Why is the government so adamant? If farmers don't want the new laws, the government should take these back," he told reporters at the protest site. 

Akhilesh Yadav sat on dharna on the road along with other party leaders near the Samajwadi Party office as Police did not allow the SP chief to go to Kannauj to participate in the Kisan Yatra. He was detained by the UP cops and bundled into a police van to remove him from the spot.

The SP chief was scheduled to go to Kannauj to lead farmers' protest thereafter the party gave a call for statewide 'Kisan Yatra' against the farm laws on Monday, but he was not allowed to leave his residence and proceed further.

Akhilesh Yadav has written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, saying that preventing him from exercising his democratic rights through peaceful protests amounted to a breach of privilege.

The SP chief said that he had been a Chief Minister, and is a Member of Parliament, but the Uttar Pradesh government has prevented him from participating in a party programme in Kannauj. He said that his house was surrounded by the police and even his vehicles were seized.

Akhilesh Yadav urged the Speaker to immediately intervene and ensure that his democratic rights are protected.

Akhilesh Yadav, who was taken to the Eco Garden after he was taken into custody, reiterated that whenever he is released, he would go to Kannauj to participate in the Kisan Yatra.

A heavy deployment of forces was made at the Eco Garden that was built by Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati when she was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

District Magistrate of Lucknow, Abhishek Prakash told IANS that no permission had been given for any event since Section 144 is still in place.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress and other opposition parties of "utter duplicity" and slammed them for their stand on Central farm laws. 

Prasad said that they are opposing the Narendra Modi government just for the sake of opposition while addressing a press conference on the issue of farmers` protest.

The Union Minister said, "Opposition parties are opposing the Narendra Modi government for the sake of opposition, forgetting their own work in the past. In its 2019 poll manifesto, Congress promised to repeal APMC Act and make the trade of agriculture produce including export free from all restrictions."

"Opposition parties have jumped into the issue of new farm laws. During UPA rule, they did exactly what the Modi government is doing today for reforms in the farm sector. Now that they`re losing polls, they take part in any protest for the sake of their existence," he added.

Notably, Farmers` leaders have held several rounds of talks with the government but all of them remained inconclusive so far. After the fifth round of talks, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has called another meeting on December 9.

The protesting farmers have called a nationwide shutdown on December 8. Opposition parties, including Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party (SP), All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), Shiv Sena and National Congress Party (NCP) also supported the call for `Bharat bandh`.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has also announced that her party will support the "Bharat bandh" on December 8.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), which left the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to protest against farm laws, has also announced to extend its support to Bharat Bandh. 

(With Agency inputs)