Barricades and an anti-riot team have been placed outside former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s residence in Lucknow to stop him from going to Kannauj to lead a farmers’ protest.
The Samajwadi Party president had announced statewide Kisaan Yatra - on foot, bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, etc - to protest against the new agricultural reforms and lend support to the farmers’ cause.
This comes on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually launch the construction of phase one of Agra Metro Rail project while chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be physically present in Agra.
“This government is so scared of Akhilesh ji taking to streets. He has to go there to participate in the farmers’ protest and drive a tractor along with the farmers to raise their issue. First the central government introduced draconian kind of farm laws and now the state government is preventing our party from protesting. This all is so anti-democratic,” said Rajendra Chaudhary, SP state spokesperson and former UP minister.
The police have heavily cordoned off the Vikramaditya marg (where SP office and Akhilesh’s house are located) and also deployed anti-riot vehicles. The police already took two SP legislative council members - Ashu Malik and Rajpal Kashyap - and sent them to the police lines.
{{/usCountry}}The police have heavily cordoned off the Vikramaditya marg (where SP office and Akhilesh’s house are located) and also deployed anti-riot vehicles. The police already took two SP legislative council members - Ashu Malik and Rajpal Kashyap - and sent them to the police lines.
{{/usCountry}}Last week, Akhilesh Yadav had announced to launch statewide Kisaan yatra (road rallies for farmers) from December 7.
“Our yatras - scheduled to begin from today - were against BJP’s anti-farmer policy and in favour of farmers and will be taken out in each and every district,” said Rajendra Chaudhary.
The party workers during the rallies were asked to raise the demand of “higher income for farmers, save farming”.
Joint commissioner of police, Lucknow, Navin Arona said the police were deployed to prevent any law and order trouble.
Akhilesh is currently Azamgarh MP but had been three-time former Kannauj MP. His wife Dimple Yadav too is a former Kannauj MP.