Six police personnel have been suspended while a supporter of an independent candidate has been arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri incident wherein a woman was allegedly attacked and misbehaved with and her saree was pulled in full public view.
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ritu Singh on Thursday accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers pulling saree of the woman who was her proposer for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Block pramukh elections.
Ritu Singh is the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Uttar Pradesh block pramukh polls from Pasgawan block in Lakhimpur Kheri district. Ritu Singh said the incident happened when the SP worker was on her way to forward the nomination papers.
Accusing BJP workers of misbehaviour, Ritu Singh said supporters of Lokendra Pratap Singh, the BJP MLA from Mohammadi area, attacked her proposer.
Ritu Singh further alleged that the BJP workers assaulted and tore clothes of other women who accompanied her while going to the nomination office. The SP leader also alleged that the workers snatched her nomination papers, tore them and fled from the spot.
Taking note of the incident, Samajwadi Party MLC Shashank Yadav and local leader Kranti Kumar Singh reached the spot.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted the viral video, wherein two men can be seen intercepting the woman and grabbing her by her saree. Akhilesh called the accused “power hungry goons of [Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister] Yogi Adityanath”.
Based on the complaint of the Samajwadi Party candidate, Ritu Singh, a case has been filed against one Yash Verma and other unknown BJP workers under sections 147, 171f, 354, 392 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code.
As per the available information, police has made two arrests in connection with the matter.
