SP stir: Akhilesh Yadav arrested in Lucknow

On the last day of Samajwadi Party's statewide agitation against the Mayawati government, party state president Akhilesh Yadav was arrested on Wednesday at the Amausi airport as soon as he landed in Lucknow from New Delhi.

"Akhilesh has been arrested here this morning as soon as he landed. He was immediately sent to jail and even not allowed by the police to talk to media," said party spokesman Ashish Yadav.

Akhilesh, son of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, was in Delhi to attend Parliament.

"As prohibitory orders are in place in the state capital, he has been arrested as a preventive measure," a senior police official said.

Soon after his arrest, a number of party workers gathered at Hazratganj crossing to register their protest. Police baton-charged these protesters to disperse them, in which a number of workers were injured.

A number of party workers also burnt flags of the Bahujan Samaj Party at Darul Shafa to register their protest.

During the first day of the agitation on March 7, a number of party workers were arrested and a number of them injured in police cane-charge.