Mulayam son leads anti-VAT rally

As part of Samajwadi Party's anti-VAT tirade across UP after agitation for restoration of student body elections that killed one youth in Saifai, MP and chief of SP's frontal organizations, Akhilesh Yadav, took out a massive cycle rally in his constituency at Kannauj.

Accompanied by a large number of traders from Kannauj and adjoining districts including Kanpur, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Mainpuri, Akhilesh took out the rally but alleged that cops harassed him for the third successive day as he was prevented from reaching Mangalpur and detained on way.

"It was a peaceful rally but cops came and arrested me and my supporters," he alleged, while talking to the TOI on Thursday. He said the police had detained them at Kannauj Police Lines and freed them only in the evening. "Our anti-VAT stir has already gained momentum and the campaign would be intensified further as more and more traders were coming under the SP umbrella," remarked Akhilesh.

Akhilesh maintained that the VAT as well as revive students union campaign would now be carried out together and party cadres had been asked to apprise the masses about the police brutality committed against them. The Mayawati government has proved that it is cent per cent blind and was unable to take rightful steps, he added.

Recalling the police manhandling of him and Shivpal Yadav in Lucknow on Tuesday, Akhilesh alleged that they were just demanding a human treatment to the student leaders, who had been thrashed brutally by the police during the day hours.

Police had beaten dozens of SP supporting youth leaders at Jainaraian College at the behest of a minister. Adding to their woes, police picked them from hospitals, arrested them and sent them to jail, denying them even first aid, he alleged.

Akhilesh maintained that it was atrocious to see police behaving inhumanly to the students and he along with Shivpal Yadav were just demanding proper treatment to the arrested youth. But police was predetermined to insult us and so they did by hurling slaps on Shivpalji, he added.

Source : Times of India - India, dated 11/01/2008