SP leader turns 'groom' to get through police barricade

That Indian politicians are adept at changing colours is known to everyone. But in Uttar Pradesh, a Samajwadi Party (SP) leader changed colours to meet the president of his own party, Akhilesh Yadav, at a place where section 144 was imposed and no one was allowed in.

Akhilesh was in Rampur town, about 325 kilometres from here, to express solidarity with party MP Azam Khan, against whom scores of FIRs were registered in the past few months in connection with alleged land grabbing charges.

The district administration had imposed section 144 and sealed the borders of the district. Almost all the SP leaders were put under virtual house arrest to thwart their attempt to hold a demonstration against what they alleged "harassment" of Azam.

Many SP leaders from the adjoining districts were denied entry by the police into Rampur. They had to return.

President of SP's Sambhal district unit Firoz Khan, however, had different ideas. Feroz Khan put on the attire of a groom and left for Rampur in a car decorated with flowers. His supporters, dressed as wedding guests, accompanied him in other vehicles.

Taken in by this guise, the police allowed them entry into Rampur.

"We did not have any other option... we knew that we would not be allowed to enter the town... therefore we had to resort to this tactic," Feroz said.

As many as 81 FIRs have been lodged against Azam Khan in the past few months. He was accused of grabbing the land of local farmers for his Jauhar University. The state government has also declared him a "land mafia".