UP BJP chief showers petals on controversial Ballia MLA
Ballia (UP): Days after issuing a warning to BJP MLA from Ballia, Surendra Singh, for defending the main accused in the Ballia firing incident, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh has been caught on camera, showering flower petals on Singh.
The video which has gone viral on the BJP WhatsApp groups shows Swatantra Dev Singh participating in a ‘bhumi pujan’ programme of a Krishna temple at Kathauda village in Sikanderpur area. Both the leaders are seen sitting side by side in the video.
The event took place on Friday evening.
The state BJP chief is seen showering flower petals on Surendra Singh, who acknowledges the gesture with folded hands.
BJP’s Salempur MP Ravindra Kushwaha, who was also present at, told reporters that only Swatantra Dev Singh can elaborate on his actions.
While Swatantra Dev Singh did not respond to phone calls, none the BJP leaders agreed to comment on the incident.
Earlier this week, the state unit of the BJP had summoned the MLA to Lucknow and warned him against issuing statements that embarrass the state government.
BJP president JP Nadda had also spoken to the UP BJP chief on the incident and had expressed his displeasure over the MLA’s behaviour.
Surendra Singh had come out in open support of Dhirendra Pratap Singh, who allegedly shot dead a 46-year-old man in Durjanpur village in Ballia following a quarrel over the allotment of ration shops on October 15.
The MLA had defended the accused, saying that the latter ‘opened fire in self-defence’ as ‘it was a do-or-die situation for him’.
He had also accused the administration of bias and demanded that action be taken against the other side.
The MLA had even claimed that he met senior BJP leaders in the past few days and that everyone backed him.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Ballia police has lodged an FIR against 21 named and 30 unidentified persons of the rival faction involved in the firing incident during allotment of ration shops at Durjanpur village.
The FIR was registered on Friday night on a complaint filed by Asha Pratap Singh, sister-in-law of the main accused Dhirendra Pratap Singh.
The name of the deceased Jaiprakash Pal also figures in the FIR.
Revati police inspector Pravin Kumar Singh said the FIR was lodged under Sections 147, 148, 149, 307, 308, 336, 506 of IPC and 7 Criminal Law Amendment Act on the complaint of Asha Pratap Singh.