Sisoli (Muzaffarnagar)/Kochi, Apr 1: Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Chief Mahendra Singh Tikait has dared Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to arrest him for derogatory remarks made by him.

"I am sitting here and appealing for peace. I asked supporters to stay back. I will go and court arrest and finish off the issue. They are not agreeing, what can I do?," said Tikait.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has condemned the police firing in Sisoli.

"We condemn incident of police firing and injuring of 15 people in Mahendra Singh Tikait's village Sisoli. We would come out on the roads and agitate," Yadav told reporters in Kochi.

At least 24 people, including policemen and activists of the BKU were injured in the clash in Sisoli.

The incident followed an attempt by the police to search for Tikait and arrest him for his alleged derogatory remarks against Mayawati.

Police had registered a case against Tikait under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act on Sunday.

BKU members resorted to stone pelting against the policemen who came to the town to arrest Tikait.

Police forces of Districts Bijnore and Muzaffarnagar along with the Rapid Action Force reached in Sisoli where BKU members pelted stones and fired shops injuring the Bijnore's Superintendent of Police, Gyan Singh and Additional Superintendent of Police, Man Singh Chauhan, besides others.

Police retaliated by using teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. The Rapid Action Force was deployed to bring the situation under control Lucknow Additional Director General of Police, Brijlal said, "Police is still making efforts to arrest Tikait."

Rakesh Tikait, the BKU leader's son, has told reporters that the BKU activists would not allow the police to arrest their leader and warned of dire consequences if the State Government sought to do so. (ANI)