Congress leader Tara Yadav was manhandled after she allegedly threw a bouquet at party national secretary and Purvanchal co-incharge Sachin Nayak in protest against the party’s decision to give a ticket to a “rape accused” leader from the Deoria Assembly seat in the upcoming bypolls.
Meanwhile, two party workers of Deoria, Deendayal Yadav and Ajay Kumar Sainthwar, have been expelled from the party for the incident.
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. Yadav alleged on Sunday that she was thrashed by the party workers for questioning the party’s decision to give a ticket to a rape accused to contest bypoll. She said, “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 Gandhi to take action.”
“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,” Yadav said.
The leader, who has been associated with the Congress for the past four years, said 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, Yadav 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.
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 the top leadership had taken notice of the incident in Deoria and had assured that strict action would be taken against the guilty.
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, will submit its report to Lallu within three days.