Lucknow: A Samajwadi Party office bearer was arrested here on Sunday for allegedly making indecent and derogatory remarks on social media, police said. Angry over Manish Jagan Agarwal’s arrest, scores of Samajwadi Party workers gathered outside the Uttar Pradesh Police headquarters in Lucknow, demanding his immediate release. SP leader and former Leader of Opposition in UP Legislative Council Sunil Lathar told PTI that Mr Agarwal is associated with the party’s social media cell. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav too has reached the place.

Assistant CP, Hazratganj, Arvind Kumar Verma told PTI, “Manish Jagan Agarwal has been arrested for making indecent and derogatory remarks on social media. He was arrested on Sunday morning. A case was registered against him on January 4 under the IT Act. “In a tweet in Hindi, the Samajwadi Party said, “Honourable national president (of Samajwadi Party) Akhilesh Yadav has reached police headquarters, Lucknow. There is no responsible (‘jimmedaar’) person at the headquarters.” The party’s official Twitter handle also posted photographs of Yadav, SP leader Rajendra Chaudhary and others at the police headquarters.

SP’s chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, who is also present at the place, told PTI, “So far, no person has met us here (at the UP police headquarters). SP’s national president Akhilesh Yadav is at the UP Police Headquarters. We are trying to ascertain the reason for which SP worker Manish Jagan Agarwal has been arrested.” The party termed the arrest of Agarwal as “condemnable” and “shameful”, demanding he be released immediately.