SP workers turn violent in UP after manhandling of Shiv Pal

Lucknow, Jan 9 (UNI) At least one Samajwadi Party activist has been killed and several others injured in different parts of Uttar Pradesh in ongoing demonstrations to protest the alleged manhandling of their SP state working president and Mulayam Singh Yadav's younger brother Shiv Pal Singh Yadav and others.

An SP activist was killed in firing in Safai in Etawah district yesterday, the hometown of party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav when a mob attacked the police.

Today, SP activists indulged in vociferous protests all over the state. In the state capital, they staged a demonstration near the party headquarters demanding action against the policemen involved.

Rail and road traffic in different parts of the state were affected due to the agitation yesterday, forcing the state machinery to resort to force, reports reaching here at the state party headquarters stated.

In Mau, reports stated that an agitated mob of SP workers set afire the CMO office and burnt vehicles. Similar incidents were reported from Farrukhabad, Mainpuri, Varanasi, Allahabad, Etah, Kanpur and from several other cities.

The spat between the police and the SP started last night when party workers led by Shivpal Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav demonstrated, demanding the restoration of student unions and other students related issues. They were subsequently arrested while the party alleged manhandling of their leader.

Police had to use water cannon and mild lathicharge to control the mob when they were trying to go towards the Vidhan Sabha.

Meanwhile, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav charged that the Mayawati government was vindictive against the SP and the attack on the party workers was a conspiracy to target the party.

'' The present BSP government has hatched a conspiracy to target the SP leaders and it was an effort to eliminate them through such action'', he said.

Mr Yadav said when the SP workers were demonstrating peacefully during yesterday's function at a college in the state capital, police arrested the SP leaders without any provocation.

Meanwhile, reports from different parts of the state said the SP workers came on the roads this morning after hearing the news about manhandling of their leaders in Lucknow.

Demanding medical aid for five students who were injured in the lathicharge, SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav along with party workers sat in protest in front of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)office.

Later, the party leaders were arrested and taken to the police.

Earlier, scores of students were wounded during the police lathicharge in Hussainganj area of the capital last evening when they were staging vociferous protests at Sri Jai Narayan Post Graduate College precincts to demand reinstating of student union elections and Unemployment Allowance.

They had also vandalised college property and resorted to pelting stones, police said.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, police lathicharged the students, wounding several of them.

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