Cops said the party did not have permission to march on their planned route.
The Uttar Pradesh police stopped Akhilesh Yadav and his party members from marching to the Vidhan Bhavan raising various issues concerning the people before the beginning of the Monsoon Session of the state legislature. The Samajwadi Party chief, who was leading the march, managed to cover 100 meters before being met with police barricades. Cops said the party did not have permission to march on their planned route.
Mr Yadav, who is also the Leader of Opposition, slammed the BJP-ruled state government on a host of issues including farmers' distress, law and order situation, price rise, and the condition of roads. He said he wanted to walk till the assembly and sit there in protest, but wasn't allowed to.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, taking a dig at the Samajwadi Party, said they can ask questions in a democratic way, but it's "too much to expect" from them.
"There is no harm if any party asks their questions in a democratic way. Samajwadi Party should take permission for any procession which should not harm anyone. Following law and order is too much of an expectation from Samajwadi Party leaders," he said.
The party said it won't change the route -- starting at the SP office, passing through Raj Bhavan and Gandhi statue located near the General Post Office, and culminating at the Vidhan Bhavan. However, Akhilesh Yadav and his party leaders have left the place where they were holding their sit in after the police prevented their march. They have gone back to the party office for now.
The party, in a tweet with visuals of the march, said the BJP government is "killing democracy".
Cops said the march was stopped because the party refused to take a designated route that wouldn't have cause traffic congestion.
"They hadn't taken permission. Still, they were assigned a designated route which wouldn't have caused traffic congestion. They refused to take that. We've no option but to stop them here. If they take the designated route, there won't be a problem," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Piyush Mordia.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prashad Maurya said that the march is not related to the benefit of the common people.
"SP's protest is not related to the benefit of the common people. If they want to discuss this, they are free to do it in the Assembly. Our government is ready for discussions. Such protests will only create problems for people," he said.
Mr Maurya also took a jibe at SP and said that the party is jobless now, and they have nothing to do.
Samajwadi Party MLAs and MLCs had planned to raise issues of unemployment, price rise, crime against women, and the poor law and order situation in the state during the march.
Social harmony is in danger as the BJP government is working with a "revenge mentality". Contrary to the spirit of democracy, the BJP is doing "politics of hate", SP's chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary had said yesterday.