Even as the Jhansi and Lucknow district administration cancelled permission for the ‘Mahila marathon’ organised by the Congress on Sunday, thousands of girls collected and shouted slogans.

In Jhansi, the girls refused to return and the police did not allow them to move ahead.

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As part of its poll campaign ‘Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon’ focusing on women in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress had announced marathons for women in Lucknow and Jhansi on Sunday.

“The first three winners in both the marathons were to be awarded a scooty, and those coming fourth to 25th would have got a smartphone each. The next 100 were to be given fitness bands, while the next 1,000 women were to get medals,” said Mamata Choudhary, the president of Uttar Pradesh Congress’s women wing.

While the minimum age for participation was fixed at 16 years, the party said that there will be no entry fees for the participants.