Lucknow, Oct 13 (IANS): In a development that could leave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) red-faced, its Member of Parliament (MP) from Saharanpur staged an 18-hour dharna to get off the hook three errant youths who had been booked for triple riding and carrying no relevant papers.

The MP, Raghav Lakhanpal, was irked that the trio, apparently his supporters, were booked by a sub-inspector (SI) in Sadar Bazaar area here Sunday.

Angry that the SI, despite his intervention, had gone ahead and acted in accordance with traffic rules, Lakhanpal staged a night-long sit-in seeking the transfer of the policeman. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) acted on the demand of the MP and transferred the SI out of the police station where he was posted when the incident happened.

The MP thereafter ended the sit-in.

He, however, said that he was angry not at the action against the three youths but that the SI had sought a bribe from them.

He also alleged that the policeman behaved in a rude manner when he called him up to ascertain the details of the incident.

SSP Saharanpur said a probe would find out if the SI misbehaved with the public representative.