Lucknow, July 21 -- Samajwadi Party workers on Tuesday evening staged a protest against the Central government to condemn the alleged police lathi-charge on students in New Delhi and the subsequent detention of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

LoP in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and Samajwadi Party MLA Mata Prasad Pandey alleged that the BJP government doesnot believe in democracy.

"This is a democratic process, in which we have the right to sit on a dharna, to hold protests. There is no need for excessive interference by the government in this. We take to the streets to make our point... This is a part of the democratic process. Unfortunately, this government does not believe in democracy and wants to eliminate democratic processes...", he to...