NEW DELHI, June 24: The Samajwadi Party has decided to gherao the offices of Tata group all over the country.The general secretary of the party Amar Singh announced here on Tuesday that the stir would begin in Uttar Pradesh and then spread to other areas, particularly Mumbai, where the party has recently made strong inroads.

The reason for holding the gherao, he stated, was the molestation and ill-treatment meted out by the police on women and children at Babrala in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh.

According to him, the Tatas which set up a fertiliser factory at Babrala promised promised monetary compensations and job to each members of the families whose land was acquired.The company, however, alleged Singh, failed on both the counts. It neither paid the compensation nor provided any jobs.

As farmers organised a protest demonstration, the Tata managers instead of trying to solve the problem through talks, instigated a lathi-charge ``with the connivance of policemen and local district administration.''

The police did not spare even women and children. They were molested and even children studying in class one and two were jailed ``for being charged with attempt to murder. This is atrocious''.

Condemning the BJP-BSP government, Singh said that it was at the behest of this government that such miseries were heaped on the poor. The SP leader announced first ever four-day workshop from July 1 of party activists, ministers, former ministers, district presidents and district co-operatives at Aurangabad. ``After UP, Maharashtra would be our target and would organise the party accordingly''.

The workshop would take stock of the political and economic situation in the country and formulate strategy to increase the area of influence outside UP. Various classes and strategy sessions would be held to hone the skill of the partymen to fight the communalist elements, he said.

On behalf of the party, he was categorical in demanding the resignation of Bihar chief minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. ``It is expected that he would act in keeping with constitutional propriety'', Singh added.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.