Lucknow, Apr 29 (IANS): The Samajwadi Party has claimed that a number of its leaders have been put under house arrest in Kannauj where party President Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple Yadav is contesting the Lok Sabha elections.

SP state President Naresh Uttam sent a letter to the state election commission late on Sunday night, with photographs of police personnel camping outside the houses of senior SP leaders in the district.

Sources said that more than a dozen leaders were put under ‘house arrest', which prevented them from carrying out any form of political activity.

Samajwadi leader Anil Arya alleged that the party's leaders were being harassed by police at the behest of the BJP government.

"Not even one BJP leader has been put under house arrest, but our leaders are being stopped by the police and have been trapped inside their houses," he said.

SP leader Tehseen Siddiqui said: "This is blatant misuse of power and democracy is being murdered by such acts."

However, the police have maintained silence over the episode. Kannauj Superintendent of Police Amrendra Pratap Singh refused to comment.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer B.D. Tiwari has taken cognizance of the issue and has sought a report from the Kannauj District Magistrate.

SP national spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said: "We have been getting reports from Kannauj, Kanpur dehat, Auraiyya and adjoining areas that SP leaders, village heads, BDC and zila panchayat chiefs are being harassed and are asked to get votes polled in favour of BJP."

He said that in his letter, the state SP president had mentioned an incident in which the officer in charge of Mangalpur police post in Rasoolabad allegedly harassed SP supporters and is working for BJP candidate.

He claimed that officers in charge of Gursahayganj Kotwali in Chibbramau and Saurik Police Station in Tirwa were acting against SP workers at the behest of BJP government.

Kannauj is considered a Samajwadi bastion and has been with the Samajwadi Party since 1998.