LUCKNOW: Farmers’ organisations took out protest marches across Uttar Pradesh on Monday and handed over memorandums to authorities demanding repeal of farm legislations.
Arrangements were made to ensure that magistrates were present at police stations.
Police, however, stopped Samajwadi Party workers from staging protests in support of farmers. Over 50 senior SP leaders, including leader of the opposition in the assembly Ram Govind Chaudhary, were not allowed to move out of their residence till late Monday evening.
According to UP police, at least 500 leaders of Samajwadi Party, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party were detained and were released later.
Police top brass had sounded an alert following intelligence inputs that some anti-social elements could vitiate the atmosphere under the garb of farmers.
Elaborate security arrangements were made to ensure that protests pass off peacefully.
Inspector general-rank officers were sent to over half a dozen districts to supervise security arrangements.
ADG (law & order) Prashant Kumar said local administration in districts checked the attempts of people with vested interest to disturb law and order.
At least 140 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), along with units of Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in sensitive areas.
“Police and district administrations remained in touch with farmers’ leaders. Mischievous elements will not be allowed to infiltrate into peaceful agitation of farmers. We also made arrangements for farmers to give memorandum at police stations where magistrates were present,” he said.
Inspector general (IG), Lucknow range, Laxmi Singh said all district police chiefs under her jurisdiction had been instructed to take strict action against rowdy elements trying to instigate farmers for violence.
“Peaceful time-bound protests, not affecting movement of the people, are being allowed,” she said.
The DGP headquarters had also instructed nine IGs to stay in sensitive areas. Kanpur range IG Mohit Agarwal is camping in Kannauj while IG Bareilly Rajesh Pandey is in Pilibhit. IG (Moradabad) Ramit Sharma is in Bijnor, IG (Meerut) Praveen Kumar in Ghaziabad, IG (Agra) Satish Ganesh in Firozabad and IG (Lucknow) Laxmi Singh is camping in Lakhimpur Kheri.
In Lucknow, farmers’ leader Gurmeet Singh gave a memorandum at the collectorate. Similarly, Ram Baran Verma and Prem Singh submitted memorandums in Barabanki and Banda.
In Lucknow, police used force to stop Samajwadi Party workers, led by district unit office-bearers, from breaking the barricading at Kaiserbagh to reach the collectorate.
In Amethi, SP workers, led by Jai Singh, were taken into custody while they were trying to take out a protest march.
In Shamli, farmers belonging to Bharatiya Kisan Union broke the barricading and tried to take tractors into the collectorate but were stopped by the police. In Kasganj, farmers took out protests with bullock carts.