UP assembly session: Akhilesh's party leaders on dharna, clash with cops. Watch

Protesting MLAs of the Samajwadi Party got into a scuffle with police personnel. Media persons were forcibly removed from the dharna site by marshals posted in the premises.

Published on: Feb 20, 2023, 11:13:19 IST

By HT News Desk | Reported by Pankaj Jaiswal

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Nearly 100 legislators of the Samajwadi Party on Monday protested against the Uttar Pradesh government outside the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow ahead of the commencement of the state assembly session. Akhilesh Yadav's party leaders were seen holding placards with slogans such as “bulldozers”, “sugar cane dues”, “unemployment” and “law and order” as they sat on a dharna at the main portico of the Vidhan Sabha building.

SP legislators hold placards with anti-government slogans on the first day of UP assembly budget session in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh India on Monday February 20, 2023. HT Photo

The protest began at Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue on the assembly premises amid a tussle with police personnel. SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav was also seen at the protest donning the party's signature red cap for the first time.

Yadav told reporters that they want the session to run so that they can raise issues of public interest.

Also read | Akhilesh attacks Yogi govt on stray cattle menace

As the protest intensified, the MLAs got into a scuffle with police personnel. All media persons were forcibly removed from the dharna site by marshals posted on the premises. Some of the media photographers were also hurt in the process.

There was a heavy deployment of police on the assembly premises in the morning in view of the Samajwadi Party's announcement that it will hold an anti-government protest outside the legislature building, as well as inside at the joint session of both Houses.

The police had also placed heavy barricading at the Vikramaditya Marg in the city where the Samajwadi Party office is located.

The Budget session of the UP assembly was scheduled to commence at 11am.

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