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Mayawati, Arif Khan arrested in Lucknow prior to leading rally

The police today arrested Bahujan Samaj Party vice-president Mayawati as she emerged from her residence on Mall Avenue in Lucknow to lead a demonstration against the "anti-Dalit, anti-backward and anti-Muslim" policies of the Kalyan Singh government in Uttar Pradesh.

The former chief minister was taken into custody along with top party leaders, including former Union minister Arif Mohamed Khan, following a scuffle and wordy duel with the police.

Party chief Kanshi Ram, who was also with Mayawati, was however not arrested.

The police officials, who took the leaders into custody, refused to say where they would be taken.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, BSP workers will launch an indefinite agitation against the UP government by courting arrest in Lucknow and Barabanki districts from tomorrow, to protesting against the ''anti-Dalit, anti-backward class and anti-minority policies'' of the state government.

Addressing a news conference, Kanshi Ram said besides Mayawati and four BSP MPs, around 200,000 workers were arrested when they were about to take out a march to the Raj Bhavan this morning.

The BSP has decided to fight the issue politically and would announce a nationwide agitation against the BJP's policy to deny citizens their constitutional right to dissent and protest. He said the state administration had taken elaborate measures to sabotage the rally by arresting thousands of workers all over the state and preventing them to reach the rally venue at Lucknow. This would not deter the BSP, he said, adding that the agitation would soon spread to all over Uttar Pradesh.

UNI

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