Lucknow, Jun 18 (IANS): The infighting in the Uttar Pradesh Congress spilled out of the party's headquarters on Friday when senior leader Sunil Rai demanded removal of state chief Ajay Kumar Lallu.

Addressing a press conference at the Uttar Pradesh Press Club here, Rai said that he apprehended a threat to his life and sought police protection.

The Congress leader has written a letter to party's interim national president Sonia Gandhi alleging that the UPCC president had an anti-upper caste mindset and did not allow leaders, other than those belonging to the OBC category, to actively work for the party.

Sunil Rai, a former state secretary, said that he had filed an FIR against Ajay Kumar Lallu six months ago when the latter tore down a hoarding put up by him.

"I had put up hoardings around the PCC office on New Year. The hoardings carried the photographs of Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and some other leaders. Since Ajay Kumar Lallu's photograph had been inadvertently left out, the UPCC chief got the hoarding pulled down and trampled upon," said Rai.

Thereafter, Rai lodged an FIR at the Hussainganj police station under Sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), Section 427 (commit mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards) and Section 352 (Punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation).

"However, the police, which is apparently under pressure from Lallu, has not initiated any action and I will now take up the matter at all possible levels," he said.

He further said that under Lallu's leadership, the Congress was losing its workers and leaders and his autocratic behaviour was responsible for the exodus.