SP's 'Halla Bol' to protest possible Prez rule

Lucknow, Feb 19: Ruling Samajwadi Party activists today staged a violent agitation near Raj Bhawan to protest the alleged role of Congress and Governor T V Rajeshwar for conspiring to impose President's rule in Uttar Pradesh.

SP activists led by senior leaders and Rajya Sabha members Bhagwati Singh, Banwari Lal Kanchal and local SP leader Ravidas Mehlotra burnt Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Mr T V Rajeswar in effigy. They also burnt tyres to block the main road near Raj Bhawan.

They also raised anti-Congress and anti-governor slogans during their agitation, termed as 'halla bol' which led to severe chaos of traffic in the state capital during the rush hour.

Massive contingents of police were deployed to control the SP activists and security forces had a very hard time to prevent the activists from marching towards Raj Bhawan. Later, the activists were taken into custody and sent to the Police Lines in buses.

Mr Bhagwati Singh talking to mediapersons said the agitation was held to protest the 'conspiracy' hatched by the Congress with the help of the Governor to dismiss a democratically elected government.

''The agitation was meant to warn the Raj Bhawan and Congress that any undemocratic steps to dismiss the Mulayam Singh Yadav government would only backfire,'' he added.

UNI