The Samajwadi Party on Friday claimed that police lathi-charged its workers while they were protesting in several districts against the BJP government’s alleged failure in maintaining law and order in Uttar Pradesh.
However, the police discounted the claim of lathi charge and said only mild force was used at certain places to keep the protesters under control.
“As per directions of party president Akhilesh Yadav, we held protests across the State. Partymen demonstrating peacefully were unnecessarily lathi-charged by the police in Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Aligarh, Amroha and other districts,” SP chief spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.
He said over 12 lakh SP workers participated in the protests in 75 districts of the State on ‘Kranti Diwas’, which is observed annually on August 9 to remember the historic ‘Quit India Movement’ initiated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942.
‘Undemocratic way’
“Police acted in an undemocratic way, but the SP will not bend before these arm-twisting tactics of the government,” Mr. Chaudhary said.
Responding to SP’s allegations, U.P. government spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Shrikant Sharma said the SP was unable to digest the all-round development in the State and hence were resorting to such means.
“Record investments have come to the State in the past two years. In Sonbhadra, the Congress and the SP were involved in massacre. The SP MP in Rampur was involved in land grabbing,” he said.