Lucknow: The police put a spanner in the Uttar Pradesh Congress’ plan to celebrate its foundation day on Monday by stopping their padyatra and detaining their leaders across the state including the state capital Lucknow, the party has alleged.
Ajay Kumar Lallu, the state Congress chief, was detained Sunday night itself. When other leaders sought to take out a procession from the headquarter at Mall Avenue in Lucknow to the Gandhi statue in Hazratganj, the cops allegedly didn’t allow them to do so.
“We were not even allowed to gather at the Gandhi statue and offer a garland on his statue. Our Sandesh Yatra was stopped at many places,” UP Congress’ media convener Lalan Kumar alleged.
Lalan Kumar himself faced stiff opposition from the police when he took out a Padyatra in Bakshi Ka Talab area in Lucknow. “We were asked to call off the yatra citing pandemic rules. However, no such rule was applied when a minister held a rally in the area which was attended by thousands of people.”
UP Congress in-charge and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the Yogi government was not allowing the party to celebrate its foundation day, the way it wanted.
“Freedom movement and farmers movements’ blood flows in the veins of the Congress. We are being stopped from garlanding our legends and taking out processions. Our leaders and workers are being detained and arrested,” Priyanka Gandhi alleged in her post on her Twitter page without naming Yogi or the UP government.
The Congress was being ridiculed by opponents BJP as Sonia Gandhi and Rahul both remained away from the foundation day celebration. While Rahul left for Italy on Sunday, Sonia stayed at home on health grounds.
