Over 10,000 SP workers detained in UP

LUCKNOW, Nov 8 (PTI) — More than 10,000 Samajwadi Party (SP) workers, including the General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the party, Mr Pramod Tyagi, were detained across the state in view of tomorrow’s bandh called by the Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) to protest against price rise, police and SP sources said here today.

Mr Tyagi was detained in Muzaffarnagar today, the police said, while SP state President Ram Saran Das claimed that more than 10,000 party workers had been rounded up since last night.

Several party MLAs and important functionaries, including party MP from Mau, Mr Daroga Saroj, had been rounded up by the police, Mr Das said.

"The workers will not yield to such ‘high-handedness’ and hold demonstrations and dharnas at all district headquarters tomorrow," he said.

Mr Das, however, said the party in keeping with the Allahabad High Court decision to ban the "bandh", had now decided to hold only "demonstrations".

He condemned the police lathi charge on party workers at Kaiserbagh here yesterday while they were trying to take out a torchlight procession.

"Such oppressive measures would not dampen the spirit of party workers to participate in tomorrow’s bandh," he added.