SP workers protest in Prayagrag

Hundreds of Samajwadi Party (SP) workers took to the streets here on Tuesday shortly after party chief Akhilesh Yadav was prevented from boarding a flight to attend an event organised by the students union at the Allahabad University.

As soon as the news spread that the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had been prevented by the Yogi Adityanath government from flying in from Lucknow to Prayagraj earlier in the day citing law and order problems, the workers, wearing red party caps, took to the streets and raised anti-Modi and anti-Yogi slogans.

The protesters were led by Budayun MP Dharmendra Yadav, Phulpur MP Nagendra Patel and Gorakhpur MP Praveen Nishad.

Heavy security deployment has been made in Prayagraj, specially near the High Court premises where the protests are taking place. Rapid Action Force (RAF) has also been put on duty, a district official told IANS.

There were also reports of the police using force against the agitators. Windows of parked vehicles broke due to stone pelting.

Similar protests broke out in many other places including Budayun, Sambhal, Mainpuri and Etah.

After failing to board the flight, Akhilesh Yadav told the media at the party office in Lucknow that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had deliberately precipitated the crisis out of fear that he would further expose the state and the Central governments.

"I had informed the university about my programme in December last year. A letter was sent to the district administration on February 2 as I did not want any inconvenience during the ongoing Kumbh. But I was not informed about the problems that the government is now citing," he said.

In response, Adityanath lashed out at his predecessor, saying that the SP has a history of anarchy and the decision was taken by the district administration based on the threat assessment of violence.

--IANS

md/ksk/ab