Lathi-charge as Akhilesh Yadav leaves jail

Lucknow: The Lucknow police today lathicharged Samajwadi Party (SP) workers who had gathered outside the local jail from where their leader, Akhilesh Yadav, was being released. (Read: Who is Akhilesh Yadav?)

Mr Yadav, who is an MP and whose father is the head of the Samjawadi Party, was arrested yesterday after he landed in Lucknow. He was meant to lead a rally against Mayawati, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The police had described Mr Yadav's arrest as a preventive measure to maintain law and order.

The Samajwadi Party, headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, is a bitter political rival of Mayawati's. Over the last few days, Mr Yadav's party had been running protests against the Chief Minister, accusing her government of inefficiency and corruption.