AKHILESH COURTS ARREST, SAYS CAN’T MUZZLE FARMERS’ VOICE

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was on Monday arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police. The arrest came as the numbers of party workers and supporters swelled outside his house and the former Chief Minister came out and sat on dharna outside the gates of his residence.

“The government cannot muzzle the voice of farmers. If the police want to arrest me, I am ready to go to jail. My party will continue to fight with the farmers for their welfare. The police have arrested and detained SP workers across the state. We are fighting to double the income of farmers, as earlier promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Akhilesh told reporters.

Minutes later, he was taken into custody by the police and taken to an undisclosed destination.

Just ahead of this development, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also extended support to the call for Bharat Bandh, given by agitating farmers, who fear harm to their livelihood ever since the new agriculture laws were enacted by the Centre.

The Congress, SP, Aam Aadmi Party have already announced their support to the Bharat Bandh call.

BSP supremo Mayawati earlier tweeted that her party was supporting the Bharat Bandh call and urged the Centre to be sympathetic towards the farmers and consider their demands.

The police in UP have managed to foil the Kisan Yatras that were to be taken out on Monday by the SP.

These are the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.