Residents of Western Uttar Pradesh are visibly disappointed with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the state as they express their disappointment by driving away candidates from constituencies, waving black flags, throwing mud at the BJP convoys, and raising slogans against the party.
The most recent incident has been reported from Chur village when BJP Siwalkhas candidate Maninderpal Singh came under the attack of the villagers.
A First Information Report has been filed against 20 individuals alongside 65 unidentified others. Singh did not register a complaint however, the police lodged an FIR on its own on Thursday.
“I have not lodged a complaint though seven cars following me were damaged in stone-pelting. Ye humare hi log hain, maine unhein maaf kar diya. Loktantra mein vote maangnewalon se aisi ghatna nahin honi chahiye (These are our own people, and I forgive them. But such incidents should not happen to those seeking votes in a democracy),” said Singh to the Sunday Express.
The FIR says that the men who pelted stones carried Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) flags and were in the process of being identified.
“We are identifying them through available video footage and will take action,” said Lakshman Verma, the in-charge of Sardhana Police Station.
However, a senior RLD leader, Rajkumar Sangwaan, rubbished the allegations stating “How one can attack when he is carrying the flag of his party?”
Although the BJP took complete control over western UP in the 2017 elections, it has been facing troubles this time around. The anger of the public might have been caused by the contentious farm laws that were repealed by the Modi government after year-long protests by farmers.
During the agitation, BJP MLAs had routinely been heckled in west UP villages, with the legislator from Budhana in Muzaffarnagar, facing a violent mob of BKU workers on August 14 last year.
The Samajwadi Party’s alliance with the RLD gives them an upper hand as it sweeps away a majority of Yadav, Muslim, and Jatt votes of the BJP. The Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013 had torn apart the Jatts and Muslims which explained the BJP’s clean sweep in 2017.
The sitting BJP MLA and contestant from Muzzafarnagar’s Khatauli, Vikram Saini, was gheraoed (surrounded and blocked) by farmers raising anti-BJP slogans at Bhainsi village in his constituency, on Thursday. ”You have come after five years,” exclaimed the angry protestors.
He had also faced similar protests in Munawar Kalan, a few days ago.
The BJP contestant from Chaprauli in Baghpat, Sahendra Ramala, was shown black flags at Daha village on Friday, and later the same day, was not allowed to enter Nirupada village.