SP MP Hasan and ex-MP Dharmendra Yadav detained

Uttar Pradesh police on Thursday detained Moradabad MP S.T. Hasan and former Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav while they were on their way to Rampur for a show of strength in support for Azam Khan, who has been accused of land grabbing in the district.

Samajwadi Party activists took to streets and protested against the registration of the case.

Police also stopped the SP MLAs Md. Fahim Irfan and Irfan Solanki along with hundreds of supporters on the highway near Bhilai Nagar who were marching towards Rampur.

The state police has tightened security and a heavy deployment has been made in the area to avoid any untoward incident.

Dharmendra Yadav accused the UP government of witch-hunt, saying "if justice is not delivered lakhs of Samajwadi Party workers will be on the streets."

SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav had called for a mass agitation against the district administration's action against controversial leader Azam Khan and his son and had ordered his supporters to march to Rampur in their support. IANS