Dayashankar Singh sent to judicial custody for 14 days

LUCKNOW: Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dayashankar Singh who was arrested from Bihar’s Buxar district has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody. “UP CM should take action against the people who have insulted my family. I dare Akhilesh Yadav to arrest Naseemuddin Siddiqui,” Singh told the media after his arrest. A case was lodged against Dayashankar on 20th July for making a derogatory remark against BSP chief Mayawati. Singh’s comment caused a huge furore inside and outside Parliament, forcing the BJP to expel him for six years. The state police was searching Dayashankar with a non-bailable warrant issued by an SC/ST court of Lucknow for his alleged derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati. Earlier, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High court had rejected his plea for a stay on his arrest. Singh had moved the High Court seeking a stay on his possible arrest and challenging the FIR lodged against him by BSP leaders. Dayashankar was wanted in connection with an FIR lodged with the Hazratganj police on July 20 at Hazratganj under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for passing “derogatory” comments against Mayawati. On Thursday, Mayawati had hit out at the Uttar Pradesh government for not arresting Singh, alleging that he was roaming scot-free in BJP-ruled Jharkhand and giving interviews to media.