SP MLA held in Amethi over ‘shramdaan’ for road construction

This government hadn’t been constructing the road, which it had promised to. Now when people came together to construct the road and invited me for ‘shramdaan’ , the police arrested me: Rakesh Pratap Singh

LUCKNOW Two days after ending his nine-day-long fast to demand construction of a road, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Gauriganj Rakesh Pratap Singh was “arrested” by the Amethi police on Thursday over his “shramdaan” for the construction of the same road.

Rakesh Pratap Singh was detained with some of his supporters for a few hours as a preventive measure to ensure law and order situation, said ASP (Amethi). (Sourced)

From his detention at Amethi police lines, Singh said: “This government hadn’t been constructing the road, which it had promised to. And now when people got together to construct the road and invited me for ‘shramdaan’ (voluntary work), the police arrested me.”

“Rakesh Pratap Singh was detained with some of his supporters for a few hours as a preventive measure to ensure law and order situation. Later, they were released after they agreed to co-operate with local administration in ensuring peace,” said Vinod Kumar Pandey, ASP (Amethi).

Singh said after he ended his nine-day-long fast in Lucknow, on the appeal of SP president Akhilesh Yadav, he returned to his constituency. “On Thursday, a large number of people, including some gram pradhans, contractors engaged in infrastructure works, gathered with road rollers, pavers and began constructing the Khadu Nalla road, which is nine km long and had been in bad shape. The people, with the help of machines, had put ballast on a six-kilometre stretch on the road and paved it also. But the police stopped the work and arrested me. At present, I am at the Amethi police lines,” he said.

Singh had tendered his resignation from the UP Assembly on October 31, alleging that the state’s BJP government did not keeps its promises and sat on ‘anshan’ (protest fast) at the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the GPO Park here.

Accusing the state government of being insensitive, the SP chief directed party MLA and leader of opposition in the UP Assembly Ram Govind Chaudhary to convince Singh to end his agitation.

Singh was admitted to the hospital by the police on Saturday on the advice of doctors after being picked up from the GPO Park, but he continued his protest in the hospital. On Tuesday evening, senior SP leaders gave him a glass of juice to end his fast, a party release stated.

In his appeal to the MLA, Yadav said it was futile to protest against the government as it was not ready to listen. “It is better to end the fast and get ready to fight the BJP in the upcoming elections,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh goes to Assembly polls early next year and SP MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh is looking to re contest the seat on SP ticket.