A day after a youth threw ink at BJP candidate Dara Singh Chauhan for the Ghosi assembly by-polls in Mau, another youth hurled a show at Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya at the party’s backward class conference.
Soon after the incident, SP workers caught hold of the youth dressed as a lawyer and beat him black and blue.
The youth has been identified as Ashish Saini who claimed before the media that he committed the act as he was hurt by Maurya’s comments about Hinduism and Ramcharitmanas.
Police arrested Ashish and took him to the Vibhutikhand police station.
Commenting on the incident, SP President Akhilesh Yadav alleged that BJP was involved in all such incidents.
“In the Ghosi’s case in which ink was thrown on the BJP candidate, it was found that the accused was of the ruling party. People have become aware and have stood up for their rights, so BJP people are diverting attention,” Yadav said.
He further said that no one knows what the BJP will do before the elections. Anything can happen? This government has hired a company to covert its lies to the truth and the media too is dancing to its tunes.
On the other hand, Hindu Mahasabha has announced that it would honour Ashish Saini for his act.
“We will not tolerate anyone abusing Hindu gods and goddesses or criticising the Hindu religion,” said Shishir Chaturvedi, an office bearer of the party in a video message.
He added that his party would provide all legal and other assistance to Ashish, a native of Sitapur Road in the state capital.
Swami Prasad Maurya has been making controversial remarks about Hinduism for some time, due to which he is the target of many religious leaders including the ruling party BJP. He raised questions and made unrestrained comments on the verses of Ramcharitmanas. Before the UP assembly elections in 2022, he was a minister in the BJP government. However, he had joined the SP before the elections.