Congress holds state-wide stir against Mayawati government

LUCKNOW - The Congress party Thursday held state-wide demonstrations against the Mayawati government’s decision to hold urban local body elections in Uttar Pradesh along non-political lines.

During the series of protests conducted across Uttar Pradesh, Congress activists burnt the copies of the notifications related to the change of pattern in the urban local bodies, and shouted slogans against the state government.

Minor clashes with the police were also reported during the demonstrations at some places, including in Allahabad, Bareilly, and Kanpur.

“In the days to come, we would intensify our demonstrations against the state government if it fails to withdraw its autocratic decision,” Congress president of Allahabad unit Anil Dwivedi told reporters.

“Even as we were carrying out peaceful demonstrations, police stopped us at several places at the behest of the state government,” he alleged.

The state cabinet June 18 decided that the urban civic agencies’ elections would be on partyless lines.

Following the government’s decision, the urban local bodies’ elections would now be partyless and no candidate would be allowed to use the symbols allotted to political parties.