We have faced the ire of Indira, we can face Mayawati: Mulayam

Lucknow, Jan 13 (UNI) While charging the Mayawati government with not lodging an FIR against the guilty policemen for opening fire on ''innocent'' students, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today demanded immediate arrest of the SP, Etawah and a high-level probe into the death of student in the firing last week.

Addressing reporters here after handing over a memorandum to governor T V Rajeswar, Mr Yadav said despite several efforts, police have refused to lodge an FIR against erring police personnel for indiscriminate firing on students in Etawah which led to the death of one person.

He said the SP have demanded arrest of SP, Etawah Siyaram Aditya and circle officer Rampal Gautam for manhandling students and opening fire. ''In the memorandum, we have demanded for a high-level probe into the death of Mukesh...the Governor has assured us that he will what is needed,'' the former CM said.

The five-page memorandum has also demanded the release of all the 19 students arrested during the agitation.

He alleged that Chief Minister Mayawati was not allowing he FIR of the incident to be lodged in Saifai police station.

Saifai, incidentally, is the home town of Mr Yadav. ''We have faced bullets of police on several occasions, but it for the first time that we have been humiliated in such a way,'' he added. He also charged senior police and administrative officials of trying to wipe out evidences of the police high handedness in Saifai.

''We have faced the ire of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi...she was a leader of national level. Ms Mayawati cannot have the stature of Ms Gandhi,'' he added.

The ongoing protests by Samajwadi Party against Mayawati government's decision to ban students' union elections took an ugly turn last week when Mr Yadav's sibling and state unit working president Shivpal Singh Yadav was slapped by a policeman.

The party had launched a state-wide agitation against the police action and demanded CM's resignation over the issue. In Etawah, a student was killed when police was forced to open fire to quell a protest.

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