The Tyagi community has announced its decision to “boycott BJP” in the upcoming by-election for the Khatauli Assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh.

A meeting of the community was held at Nawala in Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday where the decision was announced.

Community members’ move has come following the recent arrest of Shrikant Tyagi, a former BJP member, and alleged “ill-treatment” of his family by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Mangeram Tyagi, president of Tyagi-Brahmin-Bhumihar Morcha, said on Sunday: “It is a unanimous decision. We assembled in this village, with a sizable Tyagi population, to ask the entire community to stay away from the ruling party. We can never forget how the party treated Shrikant and his family.”

Deepak Kumar Tyagi, who was also at the meeting, added: “BJP got almost 99 per cent of our community’s vote in the past and in return, they only harassed our people. The meeting was aimed to bring all our people on one platform.”

In August, Shrikant, who identified himself as a BJP member, had been booked by the police for assaulting a woman in Noida following a purported video which went viral.

He was arrested by the cops in Meerut and sent to jail.

On August 21, a ‘Maha panchayat’ was held in Noida in support of Shrikant.

The Khatauli Assembly seat in Muzaffarnagar district fell vacant following BJP MLA Vikram Singh Saini’s disqualification after being convicted in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots

Polling on the seat will take place on December 5 and counting for the by poll will take place on December 8.