Now, Samajwadi Party delegation stopped from entering Firozabad

The UP president of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Naresh Uttam, was not allowed to enter Firozabad and meet the kin of people killed in the violent anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests that erupted in the city on December 20. Police stopped the Uttam-led SP delegation at the Nasirpur Cut on the Agra-Lucknow expressway. The leaders were escorted to a guest house in Sirsaganj, on the highway, before being allowed to return to Lucknow.

In a predeclared programme, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav had asked Uttam to lead a delegation on Saturday and meet the family members of those who lost their lives due to the anti-CAA violence in Firozabad. To recall, six people were killed when protesters clashed with police in the city on December 20.

Uttam was accompanied by MP Javed Ali and MLA Vijay Katheria.

“The delegation was not allowed to enter Firozabad city, as it would have disturbed the law and order situation. It was stopped at the Nasirpur Cut. The leaders were taken to the guest house in Sirsaganj and allowed to return to Lucknow,” said Anup Kumar Tiwari, in-charge Nasirpur police station, Firozabad.

Reportedly, Uttam sat on a ‘dharna’ at the Nasirpur Cut when the delegation was stopped. Later, addressing the media, he said, “We were going to Firozabad with a message from our party’s national president Akhilesh Yadav but were not allowed to meet the aggrieved families.”

Uttam blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for stopping them from entering the city.

Meanwhile, SP sources claimed that MP Javed Ali did manage to meet members some of the aggrieved families.

Earlier, on Tuesday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were stopped from entering Meerut where they were going to meet the families of people killed in violent protests against the amended citizenship law.