LUCKNOW, 12 November 2002 — A protest rally organized by the Samajwadi Party to denounce the Uttar Pradesh government and the double standard of the state governor, fizzled out here yesterday. Most of the business establisments remained open and vehicular traffic was also normal throughout the state.
Some 1,300 armed policemen were deployed in the state capital to prevent the Samajwadi Party from demonstrating. However, schools and other educational institutions in some parts of the city were closed on government instruction.
The party had called a "protest day" yesterday to demand the dismissal of the state Chief Minister Mayawati’s government, which it says has lost its majority after 12 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dissidents and some independents withdrew their support to it.
Senior leader of the party Amar Singh was arrested here yesterday for leading the demonstration against the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party-BJP coalition in the state.
Hundreds of party workers were also arrested along with Amar Singh, the general secretary of the party. Police said the party had not taken permission to hold the demonstration.
Mayawati has refused to call a special session of the assembly to test her majority, as the Samajwadi Party has demanded. Uttar Pradesh Gov. V.K. Shastri has said the government has the requisite numbers of stay in office.
"The ruling coalition has been reduced to a minority following the withdrawal of support by several legislators", state Samajwadi Party General Secretary Shiv Pal Singh Yadav contended shortly before his arrest along with Amar Singh.
Police attempted to stop Amar Singh when he landed at the Amausi airport here around noon but he brushed them aside. "I am a member of Parliament and the police has no business to prevent my entry into the city," he maintained.
The police then attempted to round up the other Samajwadi Party leaders who were at the airport and in the process, Amar Singh managed to drive off in his motorcade with Yadav in tow. Yadav is also the younger brother of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was conspicuous by his absence from Lucknow yesterday.
However, just as Amar Singh and others got out of their vehicles to stage a demonstration in the downtown Hazratganj neighborhood, the police swooped on them from all sides. The protesters were packed off in buses to police complex where they were put under temporary arrest.
