Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was detained on Monday after he launched a sit-in outside his residence in Lucknow before he was prevented from going to Kannauj to lead a protest against the Center’s three agricultural laws. More than hundreds of party workers, who continued their protest against the agricultural laws enacted earlier this year, were also arrested in Kannauj.
Yadav also wrote to the president of Lok Sabha Om Birla about the protests, asking him to intervene. “In addition to being a member of the Lok Sabha and national chair of the Samajwadi Party, I had fulfilled my constitutional duty as Prime Minister of the UP. There was a previously announced program of mine in Kannauj in support of farmers. All preparations were in place. But following instructions from the UP government, I was prevented from going to Kannauj, ”he said.
He added that a large police force has been deployed to his home in Vikramaditya Marg. “The police even took my vehicle under their control. This undemocratic behavior of the state government is not only a violation of my rights as a citizen, but also of special privileges as a member of LS. Please kindly interfere so that my right to my democratic duties is restored, ”Yadav wrote.
The chairman of the Samajwadi Party had announced Kisaan Yatra throughout the state – on foot, bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, etc. – to protest new agricultural reforms and support the cause of farmers. Hours earlier, the SP president had tweeted asking people to join the protest demonstration. “Step by step, bow your head. Yeh jung hai zameen ki. Join the ‘Kisan Yatra’! “he wrote on Twitter in Hindi.
Police cordoned off Vikramaditya Marg where Yadav’s home is and also deployed riot control vehicles. They have already taken two members of the SP’s legislative council, Ashu Malik and Rajpal Kashyap, and sent them to the police lines.
After Yadav was prevented from going to Kannauj, Rajendra Chaudhary, SP state spokesman and former UP minister said: “This government is so afraid that Akhilesh ji will take to the streets. You have to go there to participate in the farmers’ protest and drive a tractor together with the farmers to raise your problem. First, the central government introduced draconian-type agricultural laws and now the state government prevents our party from protesting. This is all so undemocratic, ”he said.
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