Lucknow, Jun 16 (IANS): Shia cleric Kalb-e-Jawwad was arrested and sent to the Lakhimpur prison on Monday after he tried to lead a mob to hold a massive demonstration here, police said.

The Shia leader was leading a march from the Bada Imambara (shrine) towards Hazratganj to press for sacking of the Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi when he was arrested by the police.

He had announced the march earlier on Sunday.

The situation was very tense since Monday morning after the eminent Shia leader announced that he and his supporters would go for a mass arrest. Senior district officials tried to persuade him from doing so, but he went ahead with his plan.

Among the Shia protesters were hundreds of women, who were raising slogans against Minority Affairs Minister Mohd Azam Khan and the state government.

The protesters were arrested and taken to various prisons across the state in more than 100 buses. Jawwad has been protesting against the appointment of Azam Khan's Protégé Wasim Rizvi since May 28.

Both the Bada Imambara and the Chota Imambara in the city have been locked out by Shia protesters for over a week now but officials have failed to break the impasse, leading to the arrest of the leader on Monday evening.