The Bharatiya Janata Party intensified its fight for the `samman’ of `beti’ as BJP Mahila Morcha activists fought a pitched battle with police demanding the arrest of BSP leader Nasimmuddin Siddiqui for unsavoury remarks against sacked BJP leader Dayashankar Singh's daughter.
“We are on the streets for a `beti’ who was publicly insulted by BSP leaders. This is a shame for a party whose president is a woman and she has been shamelessly defending her cadre,” state general secretary of BJMM Anupama Jaiswal said on Thursday as her colleagues struggled to remove barricades put up by police near Parivartan crossing.
Several thousand women, wearing saffron caps, holding playcards and demanding the arrest of BSP leaders wanted to protest at the Harzratganj crossing but the police stopped them near KD Singh Babu stadium.
Slogans like 'BSP ke goondo ko arrest karo' rented the air as women activists time and again jostled with woman cops who were holding the fort backed by male counterparts.
“We want justice. The party workers will not rest till the guilty BSP leader Nasimmussin Siddiqui and his aides were arrested. The use of derogatory words against a minor child is a blot on the civilized society,” BJMM leader Suman Rastogi screamed.
The appearance of state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya in the midst of the protest enthused party workers as they continuously tried to break the barricade and march towards Harzratganj thoroughfare.
There was a minor clash between women activists and the police personnel but the march was not allowed any further. The BJP later alleged that around a dozen party workers suffered injuries and were admitted tothe Trauma Centre of KGMU.
Comenting on the day's events, state BJP chief Keshav Maurya said,"There seems to be a nexus between ruling SP and BSP and hence Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was trying to protect Nasimuddin Siddiqui. Despite there being an FIR against the foulmouthed BSP leaders / workers, no action has yet been taken. Instead, the police used force against BJP's women wing activists who were protesting peacefully. This is indeed strange andunfortunate.”
Maurya stressed that the BJP and itsfrontal outfits will not cow-down before brute police action and the activists will continue their protest till the BSP leaders were arrested.
On Thusrday evening, Maurya visted Daya Shankar Singh's wife Swati Singh at a private hospital where she is being treated for some complications. State BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak accompanied Maurya to the hospital.later the women leaders od BJP submitted a memorandum to the Governor, Mr Ram Naik.