LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party MLAs will stage a sit-in at the Uttar Pradesh Assembly from Wednesday to highlight the state's "poor" law and order, rising inflation, unemployment and other issues.
The protest will start in front of the statue of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on the Assembly premises.
Senior leaders will lead the protest on different days till September 18. The monsoon session of the state Assembly is starting on September 19.
Addressing a press conference, party MLA Manoj Pandey said they will raise issues like the state's "collapsed" law and order, rising inflation, unemployment, false cases against opposition parties, drought crisis and problems of sugarcane farmers. The issue of farmer suicides will also be taken up," he said.
Pandey alleged that false cases are being lodged against leaders of the opposition parties, especially the leaders of the SP on behalf of the ruling BJP.
"They are being humiliated and character assassination attempts are being made. Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has been falsely booked for intimidating witnesses and obstructing the running of Jauhar University," he said.
He alleged a rapid increase in crime against women in the state and gross negligence in the health sector. Pandey said in the name of encroachment, the poor are being targeted.