The Samajwadi Party president, Mulayam Singh thwarted a determined effort by the police, which manhandled the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, as he ‘unveiled’ and garlanded the statue of Ram Manohar Lohia in the hospital named after the socialist leader in Gomtinagar here to commemorate his birth centenary year on Tuesday.
Mr. Singh’s move caught the police unaware which used force to prevent the Samajwadis from unveiling Dr. Lohia’s life size statue. Senior leader, Bhagwati Singh was injured in the cane charge. He has been admitted in the Lohia hospital.
Dr. Lohia’s statue was standing wrapped in a cloth since the last three years.
The Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Gomtinagar had been built during the Samajwadi Party regime and Dr. Lohia’s statue erected in the premises was lying covered since the last three years. It could not be unveiled as the Mulayam Government went out of power in 2007. Since, there were supposedly no takers for the Samajwadi Party’s ideologue’s statue in the BSP Government, the issue was raised by the Leader of Opposition, Shivpal Singh Yadav, in the recent budget session of the State Assembly.
Dr. Lohia’s birth centenary year is being celebrated in a big way by the Samajwadi Party. Cycle ‘yatras’ were launched in different parts of the State from March 8 on the occasion to expose the practices of UPA and BSP Governments on issues of price rise and corruption, and to extend the party’s policies and programmes at the grassroot level. The cycle ‘yatras’ concluded on Tuesday to coincide with Dr. Lohia’s 100th birth anniversary.
After garlanding Dr. Lohia’s statue at the Lohia Trust here, Mr. Singh was supposed to go directly to the sprawling Lohia park in Gomtinagar to address a function marking the end of the cycle yatras. But, instead of going to the park, the SP president accompanied by Mr. Bhagwati Singh and party workers reached the Lohia hospital, also in Gomtinagar.
As a scuffle ensued between the police and SP workers, Mr. Singh managed to climb the ladder to reach Dr. Lohia’s bust, removed the cloth covering it and garlanded the statue.
Addressing the strong gathering of the Samajwadi cycle travellers at the Lohia park, Mr. Singh accused the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati of unleashing the terror of the police. Mr. Singh alleged that the SP, deputy SP, inspectors and constables were sent to the hospital at the behest of the Chief Minister to prevent the statue’s inauguration. The Samajwadi president said since the Chief Minister had no time to unveil the statue and the party had waited for three years, it was decided on Monday night that he would unveil and garland Dr. Lohia’s statue on Tuesday.
Accusing the police of mishandling and using force against him and other SP leaders, in which Mr. Bhagwati Singh was injured, Mr. Singh alleged that the garlands around Dr. Lohia and placed at the statue’s feet were thrown away by the police.
Mr. Singh attacked the UPA Government for its failure to control prices and said the Centre is not willing to change its policy. Stating that the Women Reservation Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha to divert attention from price rise, Mr. Singh lauded the Samajwadi youth brigade for their effort to expose the Centre and State governments.
A cycle rally led by UP unit chief and Mulayam’s son, Akhilesh Yadav was taken out from RML National Law University in Aashiana to Lohia park.
