Lucknow: Around 500 Samajwadi Party (SP) workers, who were protesting against the detention of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi by the Delhi Police, were detained by the Lucknow Police after the protest brought the heart of the state capital to a standstill.The protesters, joined by Congress workers at some locations, took to the streets demanding the immediate release of their leaders, who reportedly went to meet students participating in a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the national capital.As the demonstrations intensified, hundreds of SP workers gathered in the Hazratganj area and blocked key roads, disrupting traffic during the evening rush hour. Police personnel deployed at various locations attempted to persuade the protesters to clear the roads, but they refused, prompting preventive action.The agitation triggered massive traffic snarls across central Lucknow. Congestion was reported on the Hazratganj stretch and quickly spread to adjoining routes, including Kaiserbagh Crossing, Burlington Crossing, Subhash Crossing and the busy 1090 Crossing. Hundreds of commuters were stranded for long periods as traffic police struggled to ease the flow through diversions.Police said nearly 500 SP workers were taken into custody from different parts of the city for allegedly obstructing traffic and violating prohibitory orders. The detained workers were shifted to the Eco Garden protest site and other designated facilities.JCP (Law and Order) Babloo Kumar said senior officers remained deployed at protest sites to monitor the situation and maintain law and order. “The detentions were preventive in nature and carried out to prevent further disruption of public movement,” he said.Kumar also said around 4,000 police personnel were deployed across Lucknow ahead of protests planned for Wednesday, with all police stations directed to remain on high alert.
