Mayawati burnt in effigy, roadways bus torched by SP workers

Lucknow, Jan 11 (UNI) An enraged mob of Samajwadi Party (SP) workers today protested the alleged manhandling of party state unit acting president Shivpal Singh Yadav and burnt in effigy Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and torched a bus in Kanpur.

The violence was reported from Nawabganj area of the industrial city, where SP workers pelted stones at an UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) bus coming from Kannauj, police said.

Later, they doused kerosene on the bus tyre and set it afire, even as passengers were aboard.

According to reports, several persons, including the driver, sustained wounds in the incident.

Later, police rushed to the spot and arrested some of the protestors.

The issue had snowballed on January 8, when the SP activists were staging vociferous protests at Sri Jai Narayan Post Graduate College precincts in Lucknow to demand restoration of the students union elections. Later, Mr Yadav was allegedly manhandled by the police at the SSP office.

The SP workers had taken to streets across the state since then.

A student had also died in police firing during a protest in Saifai, Etawah, while several others were wounded.

Meanwhile, the SP alleged that the action taken by the police on party workers had ''hurt democracy...it shows the repressive attitude of Ms Mayawati towards her opponents.'' UP SP unit spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said the misbehaviour of police with the party leaders, who were protesting peacefully, had harmed democracy.

''The CM is harasssing and booking SP leaders in fake cases, besides she is also conspiring to kill them.'' Ms Mayawati was trying to supress a comman man's voice, but she would fail in her attempt, Mr Chaudhary maintained.

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