Jailed MPs released after two days

Mumbai, Nov 23 (UNI) Two MPs of Samajwadi Party, whose arrest in Mumbai on Tuesday led to adjournment of Parliament in New Delhi today, were released late this afternoon after the expiry of their judicial remand.

Mr Abu Asim Azmi and Mr Atiq Ahmed were among scores of the party activists who were arrested in the city on November 21 for defying prohibitory order clamped by the police to prevent the Samajwadi Party from holding a public rally at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

Earlier, the police had declined to give permission to the party to hold the rally. Samajwadi Party also failed to get any relief from the Bombay High Court moved by it for seeking direction to the police to allow the rally.

The two members of Parliament were arrested from different places while leading the party activists towards the rally site.

While most activists were released on surity on Tuesday itself, the MPs and their loyalists refused to furnish the surity and were sent to judicial custody till today and lodged in the Arthur Road jail.

Released late this afternoon on the expiry of their judicial remand, Mr Azmi and Mr Ahmed were welcomed by the party workers outside the jail.

Later, the MPs left for the party headquarters at Colaba in south Mumbai in a motorcade.

UNI XR-JM SA SHB ND2010