Police used force to protect Sonia: Mulayam

Lucknow, Mar 29 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh government today asserted that police used force yesterday on Mahila Congress activists during AICC president Sonia Gandhi's visit ''to protect the national leader.'' Announcing a probe into yesterday's incident, Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav maintained since Mahila Congress workers were getting ''very close'' to Ms Gandhi, police used force to avoid any untoward incident.

''Ms Gandhi is a national leader and my government will not allow anyone to harm her in any way,'' Mr Yadav asserted.

The Chief Minister announced a probe into the Mohanlalganj incident in the state assembly following an adjourment motion brought by the Congress, which demanded a judical probe into the eposide.

He also announced free medical treatment to the injured. Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Pramod Tiwari demanded action against the two police officials involved in ''using excessive force'' on women.

However, Mr Yadav was very critical on the attitude of the Congress workers saying the police had all the right to remove the supporters forcibly after they tried to tread near Ms Gandhi.

The activists had staged a dharna after they failed to meet the Congress President, who was en route to Rae Bareli by road.

They alleged that police personnel, in a bid to avoid a surge of people rushing towards the Congress chief's motorcade, stopped several of them from meeting her.

Mahila Congress Presient Rita Bahuguna Joshi told UNI here the trouble started when some miscreants hurled stones at the activists siting on dharna. ''Later police too hurled stones at the women...in the process while one of the activists was grievously injured, many sustained minor injuries,'' she claimed.

On her way to Lucknow after wrapping her tour, Ms Gandhi stopped and met the injured. ''She met each of the 150 women injured,'' Ms Joshi added.

UNI NAB VS MSJ DS1532