Video: Party Worker Puts Garland On UP Politician, Then Slaps Him Multiple Times
A party worker reportedly slapped Mahendra Rajbhar, national president of the Suheldev Swabhiman Party (SSP), repeatedly soon after garlanding the latter on stage during a public gathering in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur district.
After a video of the assault went viral on social media, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident as "another example of atrocities and insult" on PDA, alleging the BJP's complicity in it.
Mr Yadav uses the abbreviation PDA for 'pichde' (backward classes), Dalits, and 'alpsankhyak' (minorities).
The incident took place at Ashapur village under the Jalalpur police station limits during a function held on the occasion of Maharaja Suheldev's victory day.
The event was organised to perform 'bhoomi pujan' for installing a statue of the revered Rajbhar icon in the Rajbhar-dominated Zafarabad Assembly constituency. Mahendra Rajbhar, a native of Mau district, was the chief guest at the event.
To the audience's shock, Brijesh Rajbhar, a party worker, first garlanded Mahendra Rajbhar and then slapped him multiple times in full public view, causing chaos at the event.
Following the assault, Mahendra Rajbhar accused Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar of orchestrating the attack.
However, no statement has yet been issued by Om Prakash Rajbhar or the SBSP in response to the acquisition.
After the incident, Mahendra Rajbhar left the venue and filed a complaint at the Jalalpur police station, naming Brijesh Rajbhar.
Speaking to reporters, he claimed that Brijesh Rajbhar met Om Prakash Rajbhar four to five days before the event and that the attack was planned under the latter's direction.
"Brijesh was once a worker in my party, but he currently holds no official position. I don't know how or why he came to the event or who invited him. There is no internal dispute in the party or any financial disagreement," Mahendra Rajbhar said, adding that though many people were present at the event, Brijesh Rajbhar was the one who attacked him.
Confirming that Mahendra Rajbhar has lodged a complaint, Jalalpur SHO Triveni Singh said the viral video of the incident was under review as part of the investigation.
Reacting to the incident, Akhilesh Yadav alleged BJP's complicity in the attack, which he termed another example of growing atrocities on PDA.
'The violent attack on senior leader Mahendra Rajbhar is yet another condemnable example of the growing insults and atrocities faced by the PDA society under BJP rule," Mr Yadav posted in Hindi on X.
"If the BJP thinks it can sustain its divisive politics by breaking communities from within, it is gravely mistaken. If the BJP is not complicit in this attack, the assailant must be immediately arrested and punished for his actions," Mr Yadav said.
"Violence is a manifestation of desperation. The BJP should remember that such acts will not demoralise the PDA but strengthen its resolve further. Long live the Constitution, long live the PDA,' he added.
Mahendra Rajbhar was previously associated with the SBSP and served as its national vice-president before parting ways ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections to form his own party.
He had accused Om Prakash Rajbhar of deviating from the party's mission and prioritising personal financial gains.
In the current Uttar Pradesh Assembly, SBSP's Jagdish Narayan Rai represents Zafarabad. He won the 2022 election as part of an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
11 minutes ago
- The Hindu
‘Social justice is ensuring that one section of the community is not traditionally involved in garbage disposal': Thirumavalavan
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder and Chidambaram M.P., Thol. Thirumavalavan has said it is imperative that those who have traditionally been involved in garbage disposal end that cycle of continuing the tradition. Speaking at his 63rd birthday celebrations in Chennai, which commenced on Saturday evening and extended past midnight, Mr. Thirumavalavan rued the slander faced by the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi and pressure exerted to leave the DMK alliance. 'Even recently during the conservancy workers protests, many asked why Thirumavalavan didn't protest against the State Government. Comrade Sinthanai Selvan went there on fourth day. I went and spent one hour with them on fifth day. I spoke with Chief Minister on Day 6 and I kept speaking to ministers. Though I urged the State Government to ensure that they are given job permanency, we have to understand the issue from our point of view,' he said. 'To demand that the workers be given government jobs is to add heft to logic of ensuring those who clean human the drainages and disposes the they continue to do so. As a student of Dr. Ambedkar, we cannot say that forcefully. In a way, we have to oppose it. To support the workers demand because they are a very conventional thinking. We have to end it. Countries around the world have implemented latest technology to perform these the need to recruit workers from a particular community,' he said. TN HR&CE Minister P.K. Sekar Babu, Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan, Mr Sinthanai Selvan, retired IPS officer, Vanitha Sambath and others participated.
Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Shinde and BJP: The saga continues
Even after deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde's trip to Delhi where he met prime minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah, things don't seem to have gotten much better for him. Shinde skipped not just Tuesday's cabinet meeting but even a dinner hosted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday night for various dignitaries on the occasion of Independence Day. Shinde and BJP: The saga continues Soon after Shinde returned from Delhi, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Anil Pawar, former commissioner of Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation, who happens to be a relative of Shinde's party colleague and education minister Dada Bhuse. Pawar had been posted in Vasai-Virar civic body by Shinde, who heads the urban development department. The decisions taken by Pawar are now being probed by the ED. Shinde's ministers, Bharat Gogawale and Dada Bhuse, were unhappy over the guardian minister issue. Gogawale even skipped the cabinet meeting because he was not given the opportunity to hoist the flag in Raigad on Independence day. The tussle between Shinde's party and local BJP leaders also continues. Last week, two senior BJP leaders from Thane district trained their guns on Shinde. Forest minister Ganesh Naik, who has a long standing feud with Shinde, publicly said that Shinde the latter won a lottery (in the form of power) but he should be able to retain it. Another BJP MLA Kisan Kathore (also from Thane district) indirectly sought a probe regarding corruption in Badlapur civic body, which was ruled by Shinde's party. Where will this bitter tussle between Shinde and the BJP lead? Everybody in Mahayuti wants to know. When Ajit met Jayant Former state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil did not mince his words when he got a chance to taunt bete noire, Ajit Pawar at a function to inaugurate an auditorium of an educational institute in Sangli. Speaking at the function where Pawar was sitting on the dais, Patil said that he comes from Walwa in Sangli where people don't bow down to anyone and do not resort to betrayal. Responding to Patil, a visibly unhappy Pawar said he had always chosen not to criticise the latter on a public platform. He also insisted that he had taken a decision which he thought was right. Pawar and Patil were bitter rivals in the undivided NCP. Ajit Pawar wanted to remove Patil as state NCP president, which was turned down by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. While the junior Pawar split the party to join the government with BJP, Patil remained loyal to senior Pawar. CM's guardian ministership headache Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has not yet been able to resolve the dispute over the guardian ministership of Raigad and Nashik districts. In January, when the guardian ministers were appointed for each district in the state, Fadnavis selected his party colleague Girish Mahajan for Nashik and NCP's Aditi Tatkare for Raigad. The Shinde-led Shiv Sena objected to both the appointments following which he put them on hold. The issue which has not been resolved yet, was back to haunt Fadnavis last week as guardian ministers were deputed to hoist the flag for Independence Day. Since the two disputed districts did not have any guardian ministers, Tatkare and Mahajan were asked to do the honours by Fadnavis. Shinde's minister Bharat Gogawale, who has staked claim to the post of Raigad guardian minister publicly expressed his anguish over the same. NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal also made his unhappiness known over Mahajan hoisting the flag in Nashik. Bhujbal and Sena minister Dada Bhuse have staked claim on the post in Nashik. The issue over Raigad doesn't seem to have been resolved even after Shinde and state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare held a meeting in Delhi a few days ago. Bharne's travel trouble NCP minister Dattatraya Bharne who was handed the agriculture portfolio after it was withdrawn from the controversial Manikrao Kokate, is not exactly excited with the frequent travel he has to undertake due to the new responsibility. Speaking at a function in his constituency, Bharne, pointed out that he was travelling for two-three days in a row and he remarked that his earlier portfolio of sports and minority welfare had no such hassles. He then quickly added that he was not complaining about his new portfolio but just pointing out that he has been travelling frequently. Since he has taken the responsibility, he would do what needs to be done, he insisted. His last sentence was probably meant for his boss, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar who had removed Kokate following the online rummy controversy a fortnight ago and warned all ministers to watch what they say.
Hindustan Times
11 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Kolhapur circuit bench inaugurated, CJI hints at permanent division bench
MUMBAI: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Sunday inaugurated the Bombay High Court's new circuit bench in Kolhapur district, calling it a step towards 'cost-effective and time-bound justice' for litigants from south Maharashtra and the adjoining regions of Goa and Karnataka. Kolhapur circuit bench inaugurated, CJI hints at permanent division bench The new bench will be functional from today (August 18), with jurisdiction over six districts—Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, Solapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. It will consist of a division bench comprising justices MS Karnik and Sharmila Deshmukh, and two single benches of justices SG Dige and SG Chapalgaonkar. The division bench will hear matters, including public interest litigations, civil writs, appeals and criminal cases, while the single benches will separately handle criminal and civil matters. CJI Gavai said he had long supported the demand for a bench in Kolhapur, first voicing his backing at a legal education camp in Sindhudurg. 'Before my eyes are the thousands of people from our borders with Karnataka and Goa who are litigants before the Bombay High Court. This step is for cost-effective and time-bound justice,' he said. The CJI also linked the move to the ideals of Dr B R Ambedkar and Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj. 'Dr Ambedkar had received a scholarship from Shahuji Maharaj for his studies in England and ₹3,000 to establish Mooknayak. Shahuji always stood by the Dalits, promoted education, and supported their businesses. I have been deeply influenced by his fight against caste oppression,' Justice Gavai said. Reiterating that the Kolhapur bench should eventually be elevated to a permanent division bench, CJI Gavai urged Bombay High Court Chief Justice Alok Aradhe to send a proposal soon. 'I still have more than three months left as CJI, and that is not a small period. Justice Aradhe can send the proposal and I will be in a position to approve it,' he said. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present along with deputy CM Eknath Shinde, recalled that Justice Gavai had earlier described Kolhapur's demand for a bench as justified. 'If there is any right for the HC bench of Kolhapur, Justice Gavai has mentioned it,' said Fadnavis. Justice Gavai also acknowledged other demands, including for a hostel for young lawyers from the six districts who will now practice in Kolhapur. He praised the Public Works Department for swiftly constructing a court building 'true to Maratha architecture' to house the new bench. On the oft-repeated demand for a bench in Pune, however, the CJI was cautious. 'The demand is due to Pune's growing advocates wanting more work. We must think about litigants also and not only advocates,' he said, adding that a similar scepticism had once surrounded the Aurangabad bench, which has since proven itself. The Bombay High Court currently has benches at Nagpur, Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) and Goa, apart from its principal seat in Mumbai. The Kolhapur circuit bench will be its fifth.
