Police use force to disperse

Mumbai, Nov 21 (UNI) The police used force to quell a demonstration by a group of activists of Samajwadi Party protesting against denial of permission to hold a party rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai today.

When a small contingent of police failed to disperse a group of about 50 agitators from the Qila court complex in south Mumbai this afternoon, reinforcement from nearby Azad Maidan police station charged at the protestors with batons and rounded up many of them.

The agitators, shouting slogans against UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and state Home Minister R R Patil, were bundled into two police vehicles and taken away to an unknown destination, witnesses said.

The police had earlier declined to give permission to the SP to hold the rally and instead promulgated prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more people.

Samajwadi Party's attempt to seek direction from Bombay High Court to the city police to allow the rally failed yesterday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was to address his party's rally, however, called off his visit to the city in view of the police refusal.

Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh yesterday criticised the Chief Minister for denial of the permission to hold the rally and alleged that Mr Deshmukh acted on the directions of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

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