UP: BJP leader on dharna against detention

Lucknow, Feb 4: Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) vice-president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh today sat on dharna on the Lucknow-Barabanki border following his detention along with his supporters on way to Ayodhya.

Mr Singh is scheduled to march to riot-hit Gorakhpur after offering prayers at Ram Lala in Ayodhya.

Police sources here confirmed that the BJP delegation led by Mr Singh was detained at Chinnahat police station on his way to Gorakhpur enroute Faizabad.

However, the former Chief Minister maintained that the administration could have detained him after Ayodhya.

Talking to UNI, Mr Singh said he sat on dharna following the high--handness of the state administration for not allowing him to offer prayers at Ayodhya.

''If they want they could have detained me between Faizabad and Gorakhpur,'' he said.

Meanwhile, efforts were on to persuade the BJP leader and his supporters to withdraw their agitation which had also disrupted traffic road on the busy Lucknow-Barabanki road.

UNI