BSP team meets CM, claims party workers being harassed post Apr 2 Bharat Bandh

A delegation of BSP leaders, led by party national general secretary SC Misra, today met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here alleging harassment of party supporters on the pretext of taking action against arson and violence during Bharat Bandh on April 2.

"We met the chief minister and apprised him of how Dalits, especially supporters of the BSP, are being targeted in the name of action against those who indulged in arson and vandalism during the April 2 agitation called by Dalit organisations," Misra told newspersons after meeting Adityanath.

Violent protests during the 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit groups on April 2 left at least 11 people dead, two of them from Uttar Pradesh. It brought to fore the grievances of the community and also triggered a war of words between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

"Innocents are being pulled out of their houses and are framed in fake cases...if the government feels it is right, they will have to give reply for it as law and order is their responsibility...It is the democratic right of the people to protest," Misra said.

"The chief minister has assured that he will look into it and see that no innocent is harassed," he said.

In the memorandum handed over to the chief minister, the BSP has said that some "anti-social" elements took law in their hands during the Bharat Bandh in order to make it ineffective and defame the party. It said that BSP chief Mayawati has already denounced the act.

But in the name of action against this vandalism and arson, innocents are being framed by the police which is taking barbaric action as a result of which Dalits have been forced to migrate from their villages, it said.

Others who met the chief minister included BSP state unit president Ram Achal Rajbhar and leader of the BSP Legislature Party Lalji Verma.