Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh were allegedly put under 'house arrest' following a call by the opposition party for a three-day agitation from today to press for ouster of the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh.
Alleging that authorities had barricaded their residence and deployed security personnel around it to restrict their movement, Mulayam said it was a breach of privilege of the two MPs. The SP supremo said he had faxed a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker after he was 'prevented from attending Parliament' this morning.
Authorities, however, denied that that the SP leaders were put under "house arrest". "The two leaders are not under house arrest. In fact, Mulayam Singh Yadav was scheduled to leave for New Delhi by a morning flight, which has been delayed," District Magistrate Anil Kumar Sagar said.
He said that a 'proper route' was provided to the SP supremo to travel to the airport.
Before leaving for Delhi, Mulayam claimed that the Mayawati government had ordered a crackdown on SP workers.
"Even I and Akhilesh were put under house arrest this morning," he alleged. Akhilesh is the President of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit.
"It was breach of parliamentary privilege by the administration and the police by not allowing us to come out of out Vikramaditya Marg residence," he said.
The SP supremo said that the party had launched a peaceful protest against 'corruption and atrocities' of the state government.
Apprehending trouble, authorities have made tight security arrangements across Uttar Pradesh.
The issue generated much heat in the Lok Sabha with SP members disrupting proceedings leading to two adjournments.
The moment Speaker Meira Kumar took up the Question Hour, SP members rushed to the Well claiming that their party chief has been kept under house arrest and raised slogans demanding dismissal of the Mayawati government. "Uttar Pradesh sarkar barkhast karo, tanashahi wali sarkar nahi chalegi (dismiss UP government, we will not tolerate a government that behaves in a dictatorial manner)."
In a bid to pacify SP members, the Speaker allowed SP member Reoti Raman Singh to raise the matter. Singh said Yadav and a number of other SP MPs besides scores of party workers were kept under detention by the UP government.
Leader of the House and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said he had requested the Home Minister to ascertain the facts and inform the Lok Sabha accordingly.
However, SP members were not pacified by the assurances and stormed the Well once again.
BSP leader Dara Singh Chauhan and a few of his colleagues tred to counter the SP members.