UP Police stop LoP, SP MP under house arrest as tensions flare in Bareilly
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Lucknow: A Samajwadi Party (SP) delegation led by Leader of Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, was stopped by police as it attempted to leave for Bareilly. The 14-member team of SP MPs and MLAs had been instructed by party chief Akhilesh Yadav to visit Bareilly, where tensions have escalated following the ‘I Love Muhammad’ protests.
Pandey said, “A letter was initially issued asking me to stay at home, but it was later corrected. As soon as the government received information about our visit, a large police force was deployed at our private residence in Lucknow to prevent us from going to Bareilly. This is completely unfortunate and undemocratic. It violates the rights granted by the Constitution.”
In a related development, SP MP Ziaur Rahman was placed under house arrest in Sambhal, with visuals showing police personnel stationed outside his residence.
UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya took to X, stating, “Sending a delegation to Bareilly by SP chief Shri Akhilesh Yadav is a childish step. The SP is known for its dirty politics of Muslim appeasement. The SP’s downfall and wipeout in the 2027 assembly elections are certain. A riot-free UP, good governance, and law and order are our identity and achievement. This is exactly what the SP supporters cannot stomach.”