‘Congress, SP leaders confined to their homes’

PRAYAGRAJ: Samajwadi Party leader Richa Singh, Congress leader Jitendra Tiwari and some others were allegedly put under house arrest by police during the visit of President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday.

Policemen were deployed at the residence of the leaders since morning to stop them from reaching the high court and other places which the President and other VIPs visited. The leaders were released after the President’s departure. According to reports, women cops reached Richa Singh’s house and stopped her from going out in the morning.

Similarly, Samajwadi Party leaders Sandeep Yadav, Yathansh Kesarwani and Jonti Yadav were put under house arrest.

The leaders had an argument with police over their detention but to no avail.

Richa Singh alleged that a ‘yagya’ was being performed at her house and she was going out to buy necessary items for it when she was stopped by police.

“By putting the leaders of opposition under house arrest during President’s visit, the government has exposed its low mentality. The BJP tried to take political benefit from President’s visit while keeping the leaders of other parties away from the programme,” Richa alleged.

Samajwadi Party city media incharge Syed Mohd Askari said the police had placed party Yuvjan Sabha’s state vice president Sandeep Yadav, city president Sandeep Singh Satya, Mulayam Singh Yadav Youth Brigade’s state secretary Yathans Kesarwani and Mayank Yadav Janti under house arrest since Friday night itself.

“Putting SP leaders under house arrest was unconstitutional. The ruling BJP government is now politicising the constitutional posts for its own gains. A large number of policemen were deployed at Richa Singh’s house while on Friday evening and police searched her office in Mundera,” he said.

Youth Congress president Jitendra Tiwari said he was detained by police as the government feared protests during the President’s programme. Tiwari, who is on hunger strike in Karchhana over his five points demand for the constituency, said other office-bearers of the party continued the hunger strike in his absence.

Police officials said an eye was kept on some people during the President’s visit as a precautionary measure.