Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was on Monday detained after he launched a sit-in protest outside his residence in Lucknow before being stopped from going to Kannauj to lead a protest against the Centre’s three farm laws. Over hundreds of workers of the party, who continued with their protest against the farm laws enacted earlier this year, were also arrested in Kannauj.

Yadav also wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla over the protests asking him to step in. He said, “Apart from being a Lok Sabha member and Samajwadi Party national president, I had fulfilled my constitutional duty as UP chief minister. There was a pre-announced programme of mine in Kannauj in support of farmers. All preparations were in place. But on the instructions of the UP government, I was prevented from going to Kannauj.”

Yadav also added that a heavy police force had been deployed at his house on Vikramaditya Marg. “The police even took my vehicle under their control. This undemocratic behaviour of the state government is not only an infringement of my rights as a citizen but also of special privileges as an LS member. Kindly interfere so that my right to my democratic duties is restored,” Yadav wrote.

A statewide Kisaan Yatra on foot, bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, and other vehicles was announced by the Samajwadi Party president, to protest against the new agricultural reforms and lend support to the farmers’ cause.