Farmers Movement Archive

Hundreds of SP workers & leaders arrested across UP during its Kisan Yatra

Meerut/Agra/Pilibhit: Hundreds of Samajwadi Party workers and leaders, including its chief Akhilesh Yadav, were on Monday either arrested or detained as they hit the streets across Uttar Pradesh against the Centre’s three agriculture laws. Yadav was detained in the morning while heading to Kannauj from Lucknow to lead the party’s Kisan Yatra. Almost all the big cities and towns saw the SP workers taking out a march and jostling with policemen.In Meerut, SP leader Atul Pradhan and Rajpal Singh led the charge. Scores of SP workers were put into busses and taken to police stations where they were let off after brief detention.In Aligarh and Mathura, hundreds of party workers were arrested.Aligarh’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Muniraj G said that the SP workers were arrested from various places including the party’s office before they embarked on their rally. “The arrests were preventive under section 151 of CrPC to maintain law and order in the city,” said the SSP. He added that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was also deployed to ensure law and order in the town.Those arrested in Aligarh included former MP Bijendra Singh, former MLAs Zamirullah Khan and Zafar Aalam. Singh said, “We did not flout any norm. It was just a motorcycle rally, not a crime.”In Mainpuri, former SP MP Tej Pratap Yadav and party’s MLAs including Raj Kumar Yadav staged a protest in support of farmers’ demand.While in Agra, several party workers including district president Ram Gopal Baghel were detained in their office.Similar protests were witnessed in other western UP districts, including Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Shamli and Bijnor where SP leaders were kept under house arrest. In Bijnor, police didn’t allow the protest march.Bijnor SP Lakshmi Nivas Mishra said, “We have not let SP workers and leaders take out procession. They were put under house arrest.”In Pilibhit, police detained former UP minister Riaz Ahmad at his residence. Another former minister, Hemraj Verma, along with his supporters, was taken to Neuria police station after detention.While in Firozabad, SP’s state secretary Ramsevak Yadav and district president Durgpal Singh Yadav were not allowed to leave their homes. Several leaders of Shivpal Yadav’s Pragasheel Samajwadi party and Aam Aadmi Party were also detained.Firozabad SP Mukesh Chandra Mishra said, “Some SP workers were detained at their homes. No one was arrested. Without any valid permission from the district administration, no protest at a public place will be allowed.”In Etah, SP workers took out bike rallies.SP president Akhilesh Yadav had announced state-wide Kisan Yatra-- on foot, bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, etc-- to protest the new farm laws and lend support to the farmers’ cause.

The Times of India

2020-12-08

Meerut