Lucknow, Nov 19 (IANS): BSP leaders and workers on Thursday held a sit-in in the state capital to protest against the demolition of a wall of Ambedkar park here. Leaders of opposition in both houses of the state assembly - Swamy Prasad Maurya and Naseemuddin Siddiqui - led the sit-in.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders said that by demolishing the wall, the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) had "insulted" Dalit icon Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and hurt millions of his followers.

They demanded that further work on the wall be immediately stopped, failing which similar protests would be held across the state.

Officials brushed aside the BSP charges and said the demolition was done after court orders.

The wall was demolished by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) to clear a connecting road to Srijan Vihar, a neighbouring residential colony.

A 574-metre underpass is planned to be built at this place by Northern Railway to enable commuters to drive straight to Janeshwar Mishra park and Shaheed Path.

The deadline to complete the Rs.39-crore underpass is October 2016.