THE LUCKNOW police extended all support to the ruling party activists creating ruckus in the city forcing closure of shops on Tuesday’s general strike called by the party.
Cops remained mute spectator to the Samajwadi Party (SP) activists assaulting shopkeepers and opening fire with licensed and illicit weapons in the air to create terror.
The helplessness of the cops could be gauged from an instance in Cantonment in the noon. A lone SP activist was standing on the railway track to stop the movement of trains while three constables were seen pleading before him with their hands folded.
The policemen could not muster courage to apply force on the activist who was carrying the ruling party flag and standing alone on the track. The activist kept the cops waiting a few yards away till he decided to move away from the track.
In Alambagh, a group of local SP members ransacked a sweet shop and a food joint and manhandled the shopkeepers when the latter refused to close their shops. The activists even opened fire in air creating terror in the vicinity.
They stripped off outside a grain merchant shop when the shop owner refused to follow their instructions. The women shoppers had to walk away to avoid the activists indulging in obscene activities in public view.
{{/usCountry}}They stripped off outside a grain merchant shop when the shop owner refused to follow their instructions. The women shoppers had to walk away to avoid the activists indulging in obscene activities in public view.
{{/usCountry}}The shop owners in all three incidents in Alambagh were seen beseeching the policemen present there but none of the cops came ahead to their rescue.
Similar incidents were witnessed at Charbagh where SP activists opened fire in the air and indulged in assaulting the shopkeepers in the market.
When HT Lucknow Live tried to contact SSP Dr GK Goswami and SP (East) Rakesh Pradhan both were not available for comment.