Soon after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav held a virtual press conference on former Bharatiya Janata Party leaders joining his party, a team of Lucknow Police visited the party office claiming violation of the COVID protocols along with the breach of the Model code of conduct of the Election Commission of India, said the District Magistrate.
The ECI had prevented the political parties from campaigning physically till January 14 amid the Omicron variant scare of COVID-19 in the country.
District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash stated that the programme at the Samajwadi Party office is taking place without prior permission of the authorities. The people have crowded the office both outside and inside during the joining ceremony of the leaders. The DM further informed that a team of the police was sent to the office after receiving this information. Appropriate action would be taken after the final report on the incident comes.
Reacting to the incident, party state president, Naresh Uttam Patel said that the people came because of their love for Akhilesh Yadav adding that they followed the COVID protocols and wore masks.
"There was a virtual press conference by Akhilesh Yadav, but it was the love of the people that they came here. It is not the fault of the workers of our party or our party either," he told ANI.
The state president further termed the visit of the police wrong and claimed that no action is taken against the crowd in the market under the watch of the BJP ministers.
"There was a virtual programme of the joining of the leaders. Nobody was invited by the Samajwadi Party here at the office. But the people came and followed the COVID protocols, wore masks. No action was taken against the crowd in the market under the watch of the ministers of the BJP. And they are taking action against the virtual programme in the Samajwadi Party's office. This is wrong," he said.
Uttar Pradesh assembly elections will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7.
( With inputs from ANI )
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