BJP holds up traffic, stalls UP Assembly

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, August 24

BJP workers today surrounded the Vidhan Sabha leading to a clash with the police following protests over breakdown of law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

The police resorted lathi-charge and used tear gas shells and water cannon to disperse the protesters who brought the city’s traffic to a standstill for more than four hours. Inside the Vidhan Sabha, BJP MLAs forced adjournments, staged a sit-in and stalled the proceedings raising slogans.

BJP workers assembled at the party headquarters across the Vidhan Sabha building early in the morning as they attempted to move towards the Assembly despite the area being cordoned off with barricades. Heavy police presence prevented the protesters from trying to tear through the barricading. After hours of face-off, the protesters and police clashed as tear gas shells and water cannons were used to disperse the crowds.

Inside the Vidhan Sabha, BJP members squatted in the well of the House as soon as the Assembly convened displaying anti-government banners, shouting slogans against the government and tearing copies of the day’s agenda.

Speaker MP Pandey suspended the question hour. Unruly scenes continued even when the House re-assembled as BJP MLAs protested police high-handedness against the protesting party workers.

The Speaker rushed through the day’s agenda amidst noisy scenes even while the leader of Opposition Gaya Charan Dinkar demanded a debate on the law and order situation.

State BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya said they would continue to protest lawlessness, atrocities against women, corruption and unemployment in Assembly as well as on the streets of the state.