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UP polls: Akhilesh Yadav writes to ECI over misbehaviour with Mamata Banerjee in Varanasi
Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav calls it a security lapse, demands action and says the party’s earlier complaint has not been acted upon
Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday wrote to the election commission of India (ECI) over “misbehaviour” with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee allegedly by some BJP workers in Varanasi during her visit last week. The SP chief asked the election commission to act on the complaint.
In a statement, Samajwadi Party national secretary Rajendra Chaudhary said: “SP national president Akhilesh Yadav has written a letter to the ECI over misbehaviour by BJP workers with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the Varanasi recently, saying that the ECI has not acted on the complaint made to it by the SP earlier.”
Akhilesh, in his letter, also made a reference to the original complaint made by Rajendra Chaudhary on March 4 regarding the incident.
“Akhilesh Yadav, in the letter, has asked the ECI to immediately decide on those BJP workers and take action against them,” Rajendra Chaudhary said.
In the letter, Akhilesh Yadav described the reported course of events. He said that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who is a Z-plus security protectee, had reached Varanasi on March 2 as per her scheduled programme. (She addressed a rally in connection with the UP polls in Varanasi the next day ).
When Mamata Banerjee reached the Lahurabeer area on way to Dashashwamedh Ghat from the airport, nearly 60 people armed with “dangerous weapons and lathis” blocked her way and damaged her car, he said.
Akhilesh also mentioned that those people shouted inciting slogans.
Despite Mamata’s security category, only a handful of police personnel were deployed, he said. The chaos went on at the spot for nearly 30 minutes, he added.
Akhilesh called it a “security lapse” and demanded action against the Varanasi administration and those who misbehaved with Banerjee.
