10,000 CPI(ML) activists arrested en route to Dadri

Lucknow, Aug 17 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Police today arrested over 10,000 Communist Party of India (ML) activists en route for 'Dadri March' called by former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh to protest the handing over of farmers' land to Reliance Energy to set up a gas-based power unit.

State CPI(ML) secretary Akhilendra Pratap Singh alongwith thousands of supporters were arrested on the Ghaziabad border.

The state government made thousands of arrests in different parts of UP to prevent the activists join 'Dadri March', which was banned by the Ghaziabad district authority, following a High Court directive to maintain status-quo at the site.

Police had to resort to lathicharge at the Allahabad railway station last night, when GRP personnel tried to arrest the activists onboard Shiv Ganga Express.

State home department sources here said the situation was peaceuful at Dadri but admitted several arrests had been made, when leaders and their supporters tried to forcefully enter the restricted area.

''There was not a single case of arson or use of police force in any place,'' the official claimed.

Meanwhile, the CPI(ML) state secretary, said in a statement at Ghaziabad, the state government had unleashed a reign of terror to crush the democratic rights of farmers.

''Today's act of the Mulayam Singh Yadav regime is anti-farmer and anti-people and he would face the repercussions in the coming assembly polls,'' Mr Singh warned.

UNI MB VS VD HT1625