Lucknow, Feb. 18 -- The maiden day of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly's Budget session was marked by protests, both inside and outside the House, by Samajwadi Party (SP) legislators. The January 29 stampede, in which at least 30 people were killed and another 60 injured, at the Mahakumbh Mela area remained the key issue as they alleged that the government was lying about the death toll.

The SP legislators, who staged a protest at the statue of Chaudhary Charan Singh near gate number one of the Assembly with placards in their hands, also demanded a list of the people killed and injured in the incident, along with the monetary compensation given by the government to their kin.

The SP MLA from Kaant in Moradabad and party chief whip in the UP A...