BJP stages sit-ins to protest arrest of its legislators

Lucknow: The BJP on Monday staged sit-ins at all district headquarters aross Uttar Pradesh to protest the arrest of its MLAs in connection with Muzaffarnagar communal violence. "Party workers staged dharnas at district headquarters to protest arrest of our MLAs and the partisan attitude of the Akhilesh Yadav government," BJP chief spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Memorandums, demanding dismissal of the Akhilesh government, addressed to the President were submitted to District Magistrates. Leading the protest in Lucknow, state BJP chief Laxmi Kant Bajpai said police were arresting BJP MLAs and preventing their leaders from reaching Muzaffarnagar.

But, the accused of the incident of eve-teasing which sparked violence were still at large, he said. The BJP leader alleged the names of several SP leaders involved in riots were struck out from the FIRs. He alleged the state government was harassing BJP leaders and workers to appease a particular community. The party had organised a shutdown in western part of the state on Sunday to protest arrest of its MLAs.