'Samajwadi Party's rally in Mumbai at all costs'

Mumbai, Nov 19: The Samajwadi Party today said it will go ahead with its proposed ''Atyachar virodhi'' rally, scheduled a day ahead of Parliament's winter session, at Shivaji Park here on November 21 despite the city police denying permission for the same.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, party MP and actress Jaya Prada and other party leaders are scheduled to address the rally.

The Mumbai Police have enforced prohibitory orders by invoking section 144 of CRPC from today for ten days. Political and others meetings will be restricted only to Azad Maidan in South Mumbai.

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi said, ''We had secured the permission but the same was cancelled yesterday following the issuance of the prohibitory orders.'' Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil had assured that the permission would not be denied as we had applied for it long time back, he added.

Although the proposed Samajwadi Party rally has been denied permission, the police has allpwed RPI leader and MP Ramdas Athavale to hold a public meeting at Azad Maidan, while another organisation has also been allowed to hold a meeting near the Gateway of India, he said.

''The prohibitory orders were issued only to stop our rally from taking place because it is only the Samajwadi Party which is protesting the anti-people policies of the state government,'' he claimed. We have decided to go ahead with the rally and the government is free to arrest us or shoot us, he said and added that, Mr Amar Singh has been trying to contact Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy and Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, but all the efforts were futile.

Mr Azmi said his party will highlight the demolition drive of hutments existing till the year 2000, despite the assurance of protecting and regularising them. Similarly, Samajwadi Party will highlight its demand for CBI probe in the Malegaon and Mumbai bomb blasts. ''The government accepted the demand for a CBI probe in the Khairlanji dalit murder case. It should do so in respect of the bomb blasts probe as well,'' he demanded.

UNI