The Uttar Pradesh Congress has rushed a three-member probe team to Deoria over a ruckus caught on camera inside the party office there, when a woman was manhandled after she allegedly threw a bouquet at party national secretary and Purvanchal co-incharge Sachin Nayak in protest against the decision to give a ticket to a “rape accused” leader for the Assembly bypoll.
The three-member team comprises AICC member Talat Aziz, president of Mahila Congress’ Purvanchal unit Sahala Aharari and vice-president Mahila congress Purvanchal unit Chandrakala Pushkar.
The team will submit its report to UP Congress Committee president Ajay Kumar Lallu within three days.
Meanwhile, two party workers of Deoria, Deendayal Yadav and Ajay Kumar Sainthwar, have been expelled from the party for the incident.
The action has been taken by the UP Congress.
A video has been doing rounds on social media in Deoria district in which a group of Congress workers is seen thrashing a woman party leader at an event.
Tara Yadav has alleged that she was thrashed by the party workers for questioning Congress decision to give a ticket to a rape accused to contest bypoll.
“I was thrashed by party workers when I questioned the party’s decision to give a ticket to a rape accused, Mukund Bhaskar Mani Tripathi, for the bypoll. Now, I am waiting for Priyanka Gandhiji to take action,” Tara Yadav said.
“On one hand, our party leaders are fighting for justice for Hathras victim and on the other, party ticket is being given to a rape accused. It is a wrong decision. It will malign the image of our party,” Tara Yadav said,
Tara Yadav, who has been associated with the Congress for the past four years, said that she went to the party office to meet Nayak to oppose the party’s decision to give ticket to a tainted candidate but was manhandled by the male party workers.
Three other women were also manhandled, Tara Yadav further alleged.
The Deoria assembly seat fell vacant after the demise of Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Janmejaya Singh. The bypoll for the seat will be held on November 3.
The Congress announced Mukund Bhaskar Mani Tripathi as its candidate after a meeting on Saturday.
Tara Yadav reached the party office and threw the bouquet at Nayak and then began protesting.
Meanwhile, Tripathi has rubbished the allegations, saying they were baseless.
He said that he was not convicted in any case.
However, taking cognisance of the incident, UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said that the top leadership had taken notice of the incident in Deoria and had assured that strict action would be taken against the guilty.