Samajwadi Party workers go on rampage in Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party (SP) activists Thursday indulged in violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad and Lucknow districts over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari’s disparaging remarks against their party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, police said.

In Lucknow, several activists took to the streets shouting anti-BJP slogans, targeted vehicles in Hazratganj area and clashed with the police.

In Allahabad, SP workers indulged in vandalism at a BJP office in the Civil Lines and roughed up several BJP workers there, damaging furniture and other office property.

Police used force in both the districts to disperse the SP activists. Over 50 SP workers were detained.

“Taking into account the series of protests by the SP activists, security has been beefed around the BJP office,” inspector R.B Singh told reporters in Allahabad.

Gadkari Wednesday night accused Mulayam Singh and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Lalu Prasad of betraying the opposition on the recent cut motions in parliament.

“Bade dakarte the sher jaise, aur kutte ke jaise ban kar Sonia-ji aur Congress ke ghar par talve chatne lage (These leaders were roaring like lions but later bowed like dogs to lick the feet of Sonia and the Congress),” he told a rally in Chandigarh.