Take action against BJP and BSP: SP leaders to CM

The ruling Samajwadi Party is caught in a cleft stick over action against sacked BJP leader Daya Shankar Singh.  A section of the party brass have suggested to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav that action be taken against both parties involved for their derogatory statements.

With the Assembly polls not far away, the SP is treading cautiously on this issue as it may affect its support among the Rajput community. Party sources said that any action in haste could prove detrimental for the outfit's poll prospects. 

A senior SP leader said, "It may be because of political compulsions that charges under Prevention of Atrocities on SC / ST Act were slapped against Singh. But it will not stand the legal scrutiny as Singh neither committed any atrocity on a Dalit nor named the caste in his statement. Singh's derogatory remark against Mayawati can be an offence for criminal defamation under Section 500 of the IPC not the SC, ST Act.’’ 

The SP leader said, "Utterances of BSP leaders during the protest in lucknow on July 21 were far more provocative and serious then Singh's statement."  

In the first case, the police lodged an FIR against Singh's controversial statement on July 20 after a BSP funcitionary lodged a complaint. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of lucknow also issued non-bailable warrants against Singh. The sacked BJP leader filed a petition in lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking stay on his arrest.

In the second case, Singh's mother lodged an FIR at Hazratganj police station on July 25 against severalBSP leaders including Mayawati under IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman).