The ongoing battle between the Bharatiya Janta Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party took an ugly turn when about 200 activists belonging to `Khsatriya Mahasabha’ attacked the motorcade of Naseemudeen Siddiqui, damaging his vehicle and causing injury to his supporters in Agra on Friday afternoon. Siddiqui however escaped unhurt.
later, on the intervention of DGP, Javeed Ahmed, the local police registered a case against Agra district president of Khsatriya Mahasabha Bhanwar Singh Chauhan and 200 unidentified members. Eight accused were also arrested in this regard.
Siddiqui, who is also the leader of Opposition in legislative Council, was passing through Kuberpur area of Etmadpur locality of Agra, when suddenly about 200 Mahasabha members blocked his way by taking to the streets. The agitators waved black flags and raised slogans against the BSP leader. When Siddiqui's security personnel tried to pacify them, the protesters suddenly started pelting stones in which Siddiqui’s car along with other vehicles of the motorcade were damaged. later, heavy police reached the area and chased away the trouble makers. When the matter was brought to the knowledge of the DGP, he directed the Agra police for taking necessary action. A case was subsequently registsred and eight persons were arrested. The arrested were charged under Section 147,148,149 ,332,342,353,427,504 and 506 of the IPC besides 7 Criminal law Amendment Act.
Talking to media persons, Siddiqui blamed the police for the laxity."There were only a handful of protestors but the police response was depayed," he alleged.
The SP leader was in Agra to attend a meeting of four districts in connection with the rally of Mayawati slated on August 21. Earlier, the All India Khsatriya Mahasabha leaders met Governor Ram Naik and handed him a memorandum demanding arrest of Siddiqui.
Meanwhile Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati blamed the Samajwadi Party government in delaying the arrest of expelled BJP leader Dayashankar Singh and alleged that they are in nexus with the BJP. "Had not the Allahabad High Court been so strict on Thursday, Dayashankar would not have been arrested from Buxar in Bihar on Friday," she said while alleging that from day one UP police knew the whereabouts of Dayashankar but still they took ten days to arrest him.
In a statement issued here on Friday, Mayawati said it was a clear cut nexus between the SP and BJP to save a person who had done a criminal act. However, the BSP president was also critical on BJP, saying that on the one hand they expelled Dayashankar and relieved him of all the posts, but on the other hand now they are agitating on behalf of the leader. "The act of the BJP has shown their double face with communal mindset," she said.
Manwhile rebel BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya has attacked his old friend of the party Naseemudeen Siddiqui over his reported use of derogatory slogan against the women members of Dayashanker Singh’s family. "When Dayashanker could be arrested for making derogatory remarks against Mayawati then why the UP police was sparing Siddiqui. law should be equal for all," he told reporters in Rae Bareli on Friday. However, Maurya, former leader of the Opposition of BSP in the State Assembly, even went to the extent of alleging that Naseemudeen takes money to allow people to meet Mayawati.
Earlier Siddiqui had criticised Maurya terming him and other leaders who left the BSP recently as " kachra'( waste) of the Party." There would be no impact on leaving of these leaders, as they were just a kachra in the Party and their departure had cleaned the party," he had said in Agra. Both Maurya and Naseemudeen were close friends for the past couple of years and attended all the BSP programmes together. But now they are enemies and charging each other.