Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) has claimed that a number of its leaders have been put under house arrest in Kannauj where party president Akhilesh Yadav’s wife Dimple Yadav is contesting the Lok Sabha elections.
SP state president Naresh Uttam sent a letter to the state election commission late Sunday night, with photographs of police personnel camping outside the houses of senior SP leaders in the district. Sources said that more than a dozen leaders have been put under ‘house arrest’, which has prevented them from carrying out any form of political activity.
SP leader Anil Arya alleged that the party’s leaders were being harassed by police at the behest of the BJP government. “Not even one BJP leader has been put under house arrest, but our leaders are being stopped by the police and have been trapped inside their houses,” alleged Arya. “This is blatant misuse of power and democracy is being murdered by such acts,” said another SP leader Tehseen Siddiqui.
The police have maintained silence over the episode. Kannauj SP Amrendra Pratap Singh refused to comment when asked about the allegations.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer BD Tiwari has taken cognizance of the issue and has sought a report from the Kannauj District Magistrate.
SP national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said Monday: “We have been getting reports from Kannauj, Kanpur dehat, Auraiyya and adjoining areas that SP leaders, village heads, BDC and zila panchayat chiefs are being harassed and are asked to get votes polled in favour of BJP.”
Chaudhary also claimed that officers in charge of Gursahayganj Kotwali in Chibbramau and Saurik Police Station in Tirwa were acting against SP workers at the behest of BJP government.
Kannauj is considered a Samajwadi bastion and has been with the Samajwadi Party since 1998.