BJP leaders hail Tyagi’s arrest, Opposition unimpressed

Noida: Following the arrest of self-styled political leader Shrikant Tyagi on Tuesday after four days on the run, members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have applauded the quick response of the Uttar Pradesh government in tracking and arresting him

Noida: Following the arrest of self-styled political leader Shrikant Tyagi on Tuesday after four days on the run, members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have applauded the quick response of the Uttar Pradesh government in tracking and arresting him.

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Tyagi had been on the run since a case was filed against him after a video of him assaulting and abusing a female resident of Grand Omaxe housing society at Sector 93 in Noida went viral on social media platforms last week.

It also came to light that Tyagi claimed to be a member of BJP’s Kisan Morcha, but the party quickly distanced itself from him, saying that he was not a member of the saffron party. Gautam Budh Nagan MP Mahesh Sharma came in support of the residents and also demanded quick action, reprimanding Gautam Budh Nagar police for being ineffective.

Following the arrest on Tuesday, Sharma tweeted, “At last, the criminal who tried to play with the self-respect of a sister in Noida has been arrested. I thank the deft leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. In UP, there is no place for criminals playing around with the self-respect of our daughters, sisters and mothers.”

Noida MLA Pankaj Singh while talking to HT said, “We have always been clear that such people who throw their weight around will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against him as well as all those who have been supporting him or the authorities who have not taken action against him in the past.”

Meanwhile, Opposition members questioned how Tyagi became so powerful and who was supporting him from within the government.

“It is now known that he was a miscreant who threatened people within his housing society and outside. The Noida authority didn’t act on the encroachment case against him and police refused to file an FIR. How did he become so powerful and who was supporting him to this extent? These are all questions that need to be answered now and the concerned leaders should be held accountable,” said Pankhuri Pathak, vice-chairperson (social media), UP Congress Committee (UPCC).

Pathak added that while the incident was caught on camera, such incidents happen in many other housing societies where local strongmen parade around with the support of political leaders. “Women are always the worst sufferers in such cases. Police usually brush these cases under the carpet as internal matters of the housing societies. However, it is high time that police took such cases seriously,” she said.

Meanwhile, residents of Grand Omaxe said that Tyagi’s arrest is not good news for them as they are worried about the security and safety of residents, especially after he is released.

Residents said that when he abused and assaulted people without any provocation, now he may return with a vengeance and try to hurt them even more. “Our main concern has always been the lack of sense of security. There is fear among residents about what will happen after Tyagi is released. We have been discussing this with the police for the past few days and some police personnel have also been deputed at the society,” said Avinash Mathur, president, Grand Omaxe housing society.

The additional deputy commissioner of police (Central Noida), Ankita Sharma, said that the security provided to the housing society residents will remain for the next few days and will not be removed now.