Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav was on Thursday detained and later released by the Uttar Pradesh police in Unnao district while he was on his way to attend a protest called by his party in Auraiya against alleged police harassment.
Mr. Yadav accused the BJP government of misusing State machinery and posing danger to democracy.
Mr. Yadav’s convoy was stopped by the police near an under-construction toll plaza in Hasanganj on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway from where he was escorted to an agriculture research centre before being asked to return to the State capital.
“Police and the government do not want that I go and meet SP workers. They don’t want us to meet because the people and the party workers will reveal the truth of their acts,” Mr. Yadav said.
He accused the BJP government of lodging false cases against his party colleagues, especially former MP Pradeep Yadav.
Mr. Yadav was travelling to Auraiya when he was detained.“The BJP is on a mission to end democracy. The Samajwadis will continue the struggle for the interests of people,” he tweeted.
