Kanpur BJP leader removed from post after visuals of him pressuring police to release alleged criminal

Hours after visuals of one of its local party functionaries in Kanpur forcing the police to release a person with dubious conduct and 27 cases against him went viral, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly removed the leader from the post and set up a three-member inquiry into the authenticity of the charges against him

Hours after visuals of one of its local party functionaries in Kanpur forcing the police to release a person with dubious conduct and 27 cases against him went viral, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly removed the leader from the post and set up a three-member inquiry into the authenticity of the charges against him.

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“We have removed him from his post and a three-member inquiry committee would submit its report and that report would form the basis of any further action against the person,” BJP’s Kanpur district unit chief Dr Veena Arya Patel said.

She said the report would be sent to party’s regional and state leadership.

A birthday party thrown by BJP’s Kanpur district secretary Narayan Singh Bhadauria at a guesthouse in violation of the Covid-19 protocol was attended by Manoj Singh, who according to the police, has around 27 cases against him. Out on parole granted by the high court, Singh is now on the run. Police are conducting raids to arrest Singh and the BJP functionary.

Visuals of the incident showed Bhadauria and his supporters blocking the police team’s jeep from taking Manoj Singh away. The police had arrived at the guesthouse after a tip-off about the presence of some people with dubious conduct there, police officials said.

“It’s true that some people managed to free an accused with a history sheet. Cases under appropriate section have been registered and raids are on,” said Raveena Tyagi, deputy commissioner of police, Kanpur (south). Police officials said that the even the BJP functionary had a few cases on him.

Bhadauria, who is now on the run, had earlier denied any involvement in the entire case and said he did not know the people who helped the criminal escape.

“My presence is natural as I organised the party and I was there to cut the cake. I did not participate in any such activity,” he said.

Two other people with allegedly dubious conduct, Vikas Tiwari and Raj Pandit, also out on parole, were reportedly present at the BJP functionary’s birthday function. They too managed to escape, people aware of the matter said.

“Stripped of his post already, he could face strict action. A report has been sought and is expected within 24 hours by our district unit,” a senior UP BJP functionary said, admitting that such developments dent the party’s reputation.

“I think police are doing their job and the law will catch up with all those who are guilty,” said the BJP leader who asked not to be named.

The opposition targeted the BJP claiming this was the latest proof of “goondaraj” (lawlessness) in UP.

“I hope the chief minister is watching. This is goondaraj,” said Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Anurag Bhadauria.

In the run-up to 2017 UP assembly polls, the BJP had consistently targeted the SP rule claiming there was “goondaraj”. The Congress asked why the BJP functionary wasn’t arrested by the police immediately.

“Didn’t he get benefit of being a functionary of the ruling party? Visuals showed him being present, arguing with the police party, when a mob managed to free a criminal from police captivity,” asked Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi. He said, “If SP rule was goondaraj, then BJP rule is jungleraj.”