Meerut : Ahead of a protest call seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi on Saturday, several Opposition party members and local activists across western and central Uttar Pradesh were purportedly placed under house arrest or detained on Friday to prevent them from joining the demonstration.
Devendra Hoon, a teacher by profession, was placed under house arrest in Meerut around 4 am on Friday.
Putting me under house arrest is a blatant misuse of power and a murder of democracy,” Hoon told TOI. Samajwadi Party member Shanky Verma said he was stopped by police when he wanted to visit a doctor for medicines. Several others were also detained in Meerut, he said. Omkar Singh, former district Congress committee president in Budaun, said police had detained them, but insisted Kumar would have to resign and answer questions on alleged vote theft.
“I am handicapped, and as a disabled person, what law and order situation could I create? I just want to register my protest as a resident of a democratic country. Political activists in Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and other districts were also confined to their homes. Police, however, have not issued any statement on the house arrest allegations so far.