BSP Chief Mayawati's Nephew Akash Anand, 4 Others Booked Over Remark Likening UP Govt To Taliban

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Akash Anand, BSP chief Mayawati's nephew, and four others were charged with violating the Model Code of Conduct after using objectionable language during a poll rally.

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: An incident of Model Code of Conduct violation has been reported against BSP chief Mayawati's nephew Akash Anand and four others on Sunday, alleging the use of objectionable language during a poll rally, as confirmed by the police. The district administration initiated action after taking suo motu cognisance of Anand's speech earlier in the day.

According to police, Anand referred to the ruling government as a "bulldozer government" and accused it of being a "government of traitors", news agency PTI reported. He made a comparison with the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan, stating, "The party that leaves its youth hungry and enslaves its elderly is a terrorist government."

"This government is a bulldozer government and a government of traitors. The party that leaves its youth hungry and enslaves its elderly is a terrorist government. Taliban runs such a government in Afghanistan," the BSP leader said, as quoted by PTI.

Furthermore, Anand cited a National Crime Records Bureau report highlighting 16,000 kidnapping incidents in the state, blaming the government for its failure to ensure the safety of women and children. Allegations were also made against the BJP, with Anand accusing them of being "a party of thieves who took Rs 16,000 crores through electoral bonds."

UP Police On Case Against Akash Anand, 4 Others

The case was registered against Anand, the BSP's national coordinator, along with party candidates Mahendra Yadav, Shyam Awasthi, and Akshay Kalra, as well as rally organiser Vikas Rajvanshi, confirmed Superintendent of Police (Sitapur) Chakresh Mishra, as per PTI.

Mishra specified that the charges were filed under sections IPC 171C (undue influence at elections), 153B (imputation, assertions prejudicial to national integration), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), along with section 125 of the RP Act (promoting enmity between classes in connection with the election).

According to PTI, Mishra stated, "The speech was given to incite violence and with the use of unparliamentary language, violating the Model Code of Conduct." Sitapur is scheduled to vote in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 13.