SP members raise Akhilesh Yadav issue in Lok Sabha

Samajwadi Party Wednesday raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of Uttar Pradesh authorities preventing their chief Akhilesh Yadav from flying to Allahabad even as the Centre asserted that neither the government nor the BJP had any role.

After Yadav was stopped at Lucknow airport, SP workers clashed with police in several parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday. During the Zero Hour, Dharmendra Yadav and other SP members displayed placards to register their protest on the issue.

Yadav, whose forehead was bandaged, alleged that workers were lathicharged by UP Police on Tuesday. He claimed that members of legislative council, workers and women, among others, were beaten up. While noting that some MPs were also beaten up, he urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to direct authorities to take action against police officials involved.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the SP chief was prevented from flying to Allahabad on the grounds of law and order. The BJP and the government does not have anything to do with it, he stressed. On Tuesday, Akhilesh Yadav said he was stopped by authorities at the Lucknow airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad, triggering outrage by party lawmakers in the state legislature and workers.

During the Zero Hour, TMC members were in the Well displaying placards and shouting slogans against the government. Later, some Congress members also trooped into the Well and sought to raise the issue of Rafale deal. A member was also seen throwing paper planes.