Many BJP and Congress leaders were today detained in the state in connection with separate protests regarding the recent incidence of violence in Kanth area here.
The BJP leaders were detained in the party's bid to hold state-wide protests seeking registration of an FIR against a senior Moradabad police officer for allegedly assaulting party workers in Kanth.
Uttar Pradesh BJP President Laxmikant Bajpai, who was going to Kanth to lodge an FIR against SSP Moradabad, was stopped, the District Magistrate Deepak Agrawal said, adding, he received a copy of an FIR from him.
Rampur MP Nepal Singh, Moradabad MP Kunwar Sarvesh Kumar Singh and Sambhal MP Satyapal Singh Saini were stopped for while at Hapur, Moradabad Divisional Commissioner, Shiv Shankar Singh said.
Aonla MP Dharmendra Kashyap was detained in Rampur. BJP MLA Noorpur, Lokendra and MLA Shamli, Suresh Rana reached the Kanth police station where their FIR was received, Singh said.
BJP leader Ajay Agrawal was detained at Ghaziabad, police said.
Authorities had yesterday imposed Section 144 here to ward off any possible communal tension in the area as VHP and BJP had planned to stage protests in Kanth town.
Clashes had erupted between BJP workers and the police in Kanth on July 4 over holding of a mahapanchayat called by the party to protest removal of a loudspeaker from a temple in A kbarpur village, which led to communal tension in the area.
Meanwhile, several Congress leaders were also detained in parts of the state when they were on their way to Moradabad to hold a 'peace march'.
Congress leaders Madhusudan Mistry, Nagma and other supporters were today detained in Ghaziabad.
District Magistrate, Ghaziabad, Vimal Kumar Sharma said prohibitory orders under section 144 were enforced in districts of Ghaziabad and Moradabad.
In Greater Noida, BJP workers also held protest at the collectorate.
At Noida Congress leaders led by state Congress committee president Nirmal Khatri courted arrest at the UP Gate border after they were not allowed to go to Moradabad.
Congress leader Rita Bahuguna along with 20 party supporters were also detained here and sent to police lines for assembling outside the party office.
The leaders from both parties were later released, officials said.
