Huge mobilization of Samajwadi Party workers who came out on streets on March 7, 8 and 9 and courted arrest has established the fact that former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav would pose serious threat to chief minister Mayawati in days to come.

The political observers also feel that Samajwadi Party is the only party in the state which can fight with ruling BSP and other opposition parties like Congress and BJP have been reduced to side players.

It would be worth mentioning here that Samajwadi Party had given a call for three days state-wide agitation against what it termed as ‘misrule of Mayawati government”. Samajwadi Party state president Akhilesh Yadav said that party had taken the decision for state wide agitation at state party conference held in Gorakhpur earlier.

Samajwadi Party president said the agitation call was given for deterioration in law and order and rise in cases of atrocities on women and high level corruption in the government.

There is no doubt that there was huge mobilization of Samajwadi Party workers all over the state but senior leaders like Leader of Opposition and younger brother Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav also received lathi from state police.

Former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav MP were put under house arrest by Mayawati government. Both of them complained that they were allowed to come out only when they sent to Speaker of Lok Sabha that they were being prevented from attending the session of Parliament.

The manner in which Akhilesh Yadav was arrested on March 9 from Lucknow airport and bundled in the vehicle shocked the civil society. Akhilesh Yadav was treated like big mafia don instead of state party president.

The brutality of police forces during three agitations was shown in pictures as senior polices officials were shown beating up unarmed Samajwadi Party workers. So much so, DIG DK Thakur of Lucknow was shown in pictures beating up SP workers through his boots.

The leader of the opposition and younger brother of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Singh Yadav said that he would take legal action against erring police officials. Human Right activists are also approaching National Human Right Commission with the complaints regarding brutality of police forces

A large number of Samajwadi Party workers were injured in lathi charge in various places including state capital. Significantly enough for the first time the agitation from Samajwadi Party was peaceful as no government property was damaged or buses were attacked. Still Samajwadi Party was at receiving end in the shape of brutality from police force.

Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Shivpal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav said the situation in UP was worse than Emergency and termed the chief minister Mayawati as dictator.

Mulayam Singh Yadav warned ‘dalal officers ‘of Mayawati regime that they would be punished when Samajwadi Party would return to power.

Chief Minister Mayawati not only complimented the state bureaucracy and police officials for dealing with Samajwadi Party agitation but also warned Samajwadi Party leaders of stern action if there was any further agitation.

An angry Shiv Pal Singh Yadav, Leader of the Opposition and former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav announced that they would accept the challenge from Mayawati. Already, they have given a call for state level agitation.

Samajwadi Party national president held the meeting of district level office-bearers, MPs, MLAs and directed them to hold agitation on March 17 and educate people about large scale corruption, deterioration in law and order and fascist approach of the government. SP leaders have also been asked to hold the agitation peaceful and tell people that SP would resolve their issues if voted to power in 2012. (IPA)