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Large-scale preventive arrests in UP on eve of Samajwadi Party's agitation

Large-scale preventive arrests were carried out on Wednesday night to ward off possible violence during the proposed demonstrations in Uttar Pradesh by the Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties on Thursday seeking resignation of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government.

Opposition parties in the state had announced agitational programmes on the anniversary of the Quit India movement of 1942.

All of them had made it a point to link their respective agitational programmes to the Quit India movement.

While the Congress and other smaller political groups had also announced similar demonstrations, it was the Samajwadi Party's much publicised proposed celebration of the 'Kisan-jawan sangharsh diwas' on Thursday that the ruling party seemed most concerned about.

Apprehending violence, Chief Minister Rajnath Singh ordered heavy deployment of police personnel in all vulnerable areas, besides preventive arrests of key SP trouble-makers in different parts of the state.

The Samajwadi Party had earlier issued a diktat to all its district units to ensure complete closure of shops, commercial establishments, including petrol pumps.

Buses and other public transport have also been told to keep off the roads while schools and educational institutions had been asked to stay closed.

"Frustrated on account of their falling popularity graph, the Samajwadi Party leadership is out to foment trouble with the sole intention of grabbing political mileage on the eve of the forthcoming state assembly elections," Singh told rediff.com.

With much of the trouble likely to be concentrated in the state capital, the Lucknow district administration has virtually been on its toes since Wednesday evening.

Searches were being carried out in hotels and guest houses to get hold of criminals and anti-social elements, believed to have been brought in by the Samajwadi Party to foment trouble.

The chief minister said, "We have no objection to anyone staging a peaceful demonstration. After all, it is a political party's right in a democratic set-up. However, we cannot allow anybody, no matter how high and mighty, to disturb the peace and engineer law and order problems."

"After failing to raise a single issue of public interest over the past four years, the Samajwadi Party was suddenly putting up a façade of concern for the people's needs," he noted.

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