Lucknow: Lucknow witnessed a series of protests on Monday as Samajwadi Party’s student wing and women’s wing took to the streets, condemning the arrest of opposition leaders including SP president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. The arrests took place during a march to the Election Commission office, where opposition MPs accused the BJP-led government of voter list manipulation and booth capturing in recent elections.
In Hazratganj, dozens of SP student activists staged a sit-in despite heavy rain, chanting slogans against the Election Commission. Tensions rose when police attempted to disperse the gathering, leading to scuffles. Several protesters were detained and sent to Eco Garden.
SP student wing leader Mahendra Yadav accused the Commission of acting under political pressure, citing the initiation of SIR proceedings ahead of the Bihar elections as a move to influence results.
He demanded the immediate release of all detained opposition leaders and the suspension of district officials allegedly involved in electoral misconduct. Later in the day, the SP women’s wing marched towards the Vidhan Bhavan and Lok Bhavan, confronting police barricades before being taken into custody. The protests in Lucknow mirrored the scene in Delhi, where over 300 opposition MPs participated in the march.
During the rally, Akhilesh Yadav scaled a police barricade, asserting that SP had submitted a list of 18,000 deleted votes to the Commission. Rahul Gandhi called the movement “a fight to protect the Constitution,” while SP MP Dimple Yadav accused authorities of booth capturing in the UP bypolls
