For a second time this month, the Yogi Adityanath government prevented Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders from taking out a foot march to the state Assembly on Monday.

LUCKNOW — Samajwadi Party MLAs on Monday held a dummy Vidhan Sabha on Vikramaditya Marg where they were staging a dharna in protest against not being allowed to march to the state Assembly.

The SP MLAs sang “Vande Mataram” and then read out an obituary resolution to condole the demise of BJP MLA Arvind Giri.

They observed a two-minute silence before calling off the dharna.

For a second time this month, the Yogi Adityanath government prevented Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders from taking out a foot march to the state Assembly on Monday.

Led by SP president Akhilesh Yadav, about 119 MLAs and MLCs, along with other party leaders, started marching towards the Assembly on Monday morning but were stopped by the police since they did not have the requisite permission.

Police officials asked the SP MLAs to take an alternative route to the Assembly but they refused.

As the crowd swelled, Akhilesh and the party MLAs squatted on the ground and staged a dharna a few metres from the party office.

The SP MLAs carried placards with had slogans against the Yogi government.

A heavy deployment of police had been made at the SP office and all roads were heavily barricaded.

A similar agenda was followed in the UP Assembly where the proceedings were adjourned for the day after condoling the demise of the BJP MLA.