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).
