UP Minister Protests Against SHO Over 'False SC/ST Case' On BJP Workers In Kanpur

UP Minister Pratibha Shukla protests for 5 hours against SHO over a 'false SC/ST case' filed against BJP workers in

UP Minister Pratibha Shukla during her 5-hour protest in Kanpur Dehat.

Source : X@ANINewsUP

Kanpur (UP), Jul 24 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Minister Pratibha Shukla staged a dharna at a police station in Kanpur Dehat on Thursday, demanding action against an SHO for allegedly filing a false case under the SC/ST Act against BJP workers.

The protest, which lasted five hours, prompted the removal of the local police outpost in-charge and a departmental inquiry against the SHO, officials said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over police actions in the state. He also took potshots at Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak as he shared a video on X of the minister's purported video call with Shukla's husband, who expressed displeasure over the situation.

Shukla, the Minister of State for Women's Welfare and Child Development, accused SHO Satish Singh of lodging a fabricated case under the SC/ST Act against BJP workers, calling it a "deliberate attempt" to target them.

"This is not a previous Samajwadi regime. This is Yogi's government, and false and fabricated cases against BJP workers will not be tolerated," Shukla told officials and media at the spot.

Despite repeated efforts by Circle Officer (Sikandara) Priya Singh to persuade the minister to end the dharna, including a request to walk inside the SHO's chamber to speak to Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Arvind Mishra, Shukla remained firm.

"Let the SP come out and speak in front of everyone," she said, insisting that the matter be addressed publicly.

"I have never filed a police complaint in the last 25 years. But today, it's a matter of respect. I want to know under whose pressure this case was filed," she asked the SP and DM.

The protest was called off only after SP Arvind Mishra announced the removal of the local police outpost in-charge and ordered an inquiry against SHO Satish Singh, District Magistrate (Kanpur Dehat) Alok Singh told PTI.

Additional SP Rajesh Pandey has been tasked with conducting a detailed inquiry and submitting a fact-finding report to the SP at the earliest. The ASP will examine the circumstances under which the cross FIR was lodged under the SC/ST Act and ensure that the investigation proceeds based strictly on facts, the DM added.

During the protest, Shukla was joined by her husband and former MP Anil Shukla Warsi, who was purportedly seen talking to a senior Cabinet minister in the government, expressing displeasure over the situation. In a purported video which went viral, he was seen having an intense conversation with the senior Cabinet minister and he was heard saying: "Were not you made the deputy CM to protect Brahmins? And now fake cases are being registered against them - they (BJP workers) are being abused and are just supposed to keep voting for you? This won't go on," before the call ended abruptly.

Yadav took a jibe on the BJP over the matter. In a post on X, he, without naming Pathak, said, "DCM sir, first focus on your own people, then give advice to others. Earlier, there was only one DCM (Keshav Maurya) who was reprimanded, now both are reprimanded." In another post, he took potshots at the Adityanath dispensation, saying, "The ruling state minister herself is staging protest against her own police's actions, does the chief minister want anymore evidence?" According to officials, the controversy began after a road construction project was halted by local municipal councillor Shamshad Khan, prompting the minister's intervention.

On Tuesday, an FIR was filed against Khan (corporator, Kanshiram Nagar) by contractor Zahoor Ahmad, alleging extortion, criminal intimidation, and intentional insult. On Thursday, Baburam Gautam filed a counter FIR against Abrar, Younus, Aslam, Yasir, and Shiva Pandey under various charges, including criminal intimidation, intentional insult, and relevant sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)