Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday arrested two people for dumping potatoes outside the Assembly and Chief Minister Adityanath’s house on January 6, ANI reported. Police dismissed reports that farmers had dumped the potatoes as part of their protest against the low purchasing price of the vegetable fixed by the government.

“There were no farmer unions behind this incident,” Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar told reporters. “A total of six people were involved in the entire incident, two are arrested and rest will be arrested soon. The accused were identified and nabbed after the police investigated the CCTV footage of the localities where potatoes were dumped.”

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav criticised the police for arresting a farmer connected to the Samajwadi Party, News18 reported. “Farmers are in a problem as they are not getting the right price for their yield. Our government is trying to prove that it [dumping of potatoes) was not done by farmers. What if the farmers who did it belong to our party? Are BJP people not into potato farming? The issue is about potato farmers, but our police are arresting them instead of arresting criminals in the state.”

The party has asked farmers to gift potatoes to district magistrates, Yadav said.

Four constables and a sub-inspector were suspended in connection with the incident.