‘Arrest me too’: SP MP Iqra Hasan protests detention of party leaders

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Iqra Hasan on Tuesday staged a sit-in protest at the Sadar Bazar police station in Uttar Pradesh after several SP leaders, including former minister Mangeram Kashyap, were detained on charges related to breach of peace.

The protest triggered heavy police deployment in the area as scores of Samajwadi Party workers and supporters gathered outside the police station in solidarity with the Kairana MP.

“Either arrest me as well or release our people,” Hasan said during the dharna, accusing the police of suppressing voices seeking justice.

According to police officials, Kashyap and four others were detained earlier in the day under preventive sections linked to breach of peace. However, Hasan alleged that innocent people approaching the administration with grievances were instead being “unnecessarily arrested and sent to jail”.

The confrontation escalated after Hasan reached the police station upon learning about the arrests. Police sources said heated exchanges took place between the MP and senior officers, including SP (City) Vyom Bindal and ASP Manoj Yadav.

Earlier in the day, Hasan had accompanied an elderly woman from Jasala village to meet DIG Abhishek Singh regarding the alleged murder of the woman’s son.

The woman sought a fair investigation into the case, while Hasan claimed the DIG “refused to accept the victim’s demands” despite hearing her out.

“The DIG left his office during the meeting. The grieving mother broke down and walked out,” Hasan alleged.

The MP said she later moved to the parking area outside the DIG office to prepare another application when police personnel arrived, claiming traffic obstruction.

Hasan alleged that she and her associates were then taken in her own vehicle to the women’s police station at Police Lines, where she was detained for around 10 minutes before being released.

“There was no traffic disruption. My vehicle was parked within the designated white line. I also have video footage of the incident,” she claimed.

Police, however, maintained that preventive action was taken only against those allegedly involved in disturbing public order.

Hasan said she was heading towards Sarsawa when she received information about the arrests of SP leaders, prompting her return to the Sadar Bazar police station, where the protest continued till late evening.

Reacting sharply to the developments, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP government of silencing dissent.

“When someone is taken into custody merely for raising their voice for justice, that very moment is Kalyug,” Yadav wrote on X.

“What is the crime of the Samajwadi Party MP? Only that she was helping a mother who lost her son and is being denied justice under the cruel BJP regime,” he added.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further said that “even BJP supporters will feel ashamed” of the incident and asserted that the “PDA will no longer tolerate oppression.”

With PTI inputs