Protesting Congress workers cane charged

LUCKNOW: In a sharp reaction to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s withdrawal of support to the Congress in parliament, Congress leaders and party workers took to the streets on Monday to protest the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh. Raising slogans against the Samajwadi Party’s protection of tainted Noida chief engineer Yadav Singh inside the assembly, Mulayam’s cosying with PM Narendra Modi, and the prevailing law and order breakdown in the state, scores of Congress workers gathered at the Lakshman Mela grounds in Lucknow.
The crowds – Congress workers from all parts of the state – were led by UP Congress Committee chief Nirmal Khatri, AICC general secretary in charge of UP Madhusudan Mistry, Rajya Sabha MP Raj Babbar, CLP leader Pradeep Mathur, 25 Congress MLAs and several former MPs and Congress ministers. The protesters’ attempt to lead the protest march to outside Vidhan Sabha was foiled by the police personnel, who used water cannons and cane charged the crowds in an attempt to disperse them. Among those who were cane charged included party chief Khatri, Raj Babbar, Mistry and former Union minister of state Pradeep Jain Aditya. About 40 Congress members, including NSUI and Youth Congress functionaries were referred to Lucknow’s civil hospital for injuries ranging from fractured limbs and minor head injuries. Launching Congress’ frontal attack on former allies, the Samajwadis, Khatri said: “Mulayam Singh Yadav invited prime minister Narendra Modi to his house in Saifai. Today, his true colours stand exposed, especially after he raised slogans of Jai Kisan Jai Musalman during election rallies.”
Some district administration officials as well as police personnel also sustained injuries during Monday’s clashes. An FIR was registered against 15 Congress leaders and unidentified 5000 party workers, Khatri, Babbar, Rita Joshi, Ajay Rai and Manoj Pathak among them. The protesters were charged with attempt to murder, rioting, deterring public servants from discharging duties, wrongful restraint, endangering life of others.
On Monday, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, scheduled to visit Amethi on a two-day trip starting Tuesday, spoke with Mistry and Khatri and criticised the SP government for attempting to silence the Congress’ efforts to raise issues affecting the public. Mistry also said Congress will continue to agitate against the ruling SP in every district of UP and will not be scared into silence.