Mamata condemns Akhilesh being stopped at airport as hundreds of SP workers stage protest against Yogi govt

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday condemned the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for preventing Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav from taking a flight to attend an event in Allahabad University.

"I've already spoken to @yadavakhilesh. We all condemn the arrogant attitude of the so-called BJP 'leaders' who didn't allow Akhilesh to address the students," Banerjee tweeted.

She said Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani was also not allowed, questioning the sense of democracy in the country.

Akhilesh Yadav wanted to take a private plane here, but was told by a senior district official that he did not have the permission to do so.

A fuming Yadav, a former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who returned home after arguing with the airport officials for about two hours, said the state government was so scared of him that they stopped him from going to Allahabad University.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Samajwadi Party (SP) workers took to the streets in Allahabad on Tuesday shortly after party chief Akhilesh Yadav was prevented from boarding a flight to attend an event organised by the students union at the Allahabad University.

As soon as the news spread that the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had been prevented by the Yogi Adityanath government from flying in from Lucknow to Prayagraj earlier in the day citing law and order problems, the workers, wearing red party caps, took to the streets and raised anti-Modi and anti-Yogi slogans.

The protesters were led by Budayun MP Dharmendra Yadav, Phulpur MP Nagendra Patel and Gorakhpur MP Praveen Nishad.

Heavy security deployment has been made in Prayagraj, specially near the High Court premises where the protests are taking place. Rapid Action Force (RAF) has also been put on duty, a district official said.

There were also reports of the police using force against the agitators. Windows of parked vehicles broke due to stone pelting.

Similar protests broke out in many other places including Budayun, Sambhal, Mainpuri and Etah.

After failing to board the flight, Akhilesh Yadav told the media at the party office in Lucknow that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had deliberately precipitated the crisis out of fear that he would further expose the state and the Central governments.

"I had informed the university about my programme in December last year. A letter was sent to the district administration on February 2 as I did not want any inconvenience during the ongoing Kumbh. But I was not informed about the problems that the government is now citing," he said.

In response, Adityanath lashed out at his predecessor, saying that the SP has a history of anarchy and the decision was taken by the district administration based on the threat assessment of violence.