BJP MLA from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh suffered minor burn injuries on Saturday as she tried setting afire Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav's effigy afire during a protest here on the women's reservation issue.
The MLA, Anupama Jaiswal, was immediately admitted to a hospital and, following primary treatment, left for Lucknow for further medical consultation, PTI reported.
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"The MLA was found to have sustained superficial burns covering approximately four per cent of her forehead, and some hair on her head had also been singed. However, her eyes remain unharmed, and her condition continues to be stable," Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the district hospital M M Tripathi was quoted as saying.
Akhilesh Yadav shares video
Akhilesh Yadav shared the video of the incident on his X account with the caption in Hindi: “Fire lighters, be cautious. Arrangements should be made for the treatment of the woman who sets fires.”
The incident took place when a protest against the opposition organised by the BJP under the banner of the 'Mahila Janaakrosh March' was being held on Saturday afternoon near the district magistrate's residence and effigies of SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were being set ablaze, eyewitnesses were quoted as saying.
How BJP MLA got injured
{{/usCountry}}The incident took place when a protest against the opposition organised by the BJP under the banner of the 'Mahila Janaakrosh March' was being held on Saturday afternoon near the district magistrate's residence and effigies of SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were being set ablaze, eyewitnesses were quoted as saying.
How BJP MLA got injured
{{/usCountry}}When the MLA set the effigy on fire, an explosion resembling a firecracker was heard, Circle Officer (City) Narayan Dutt Mishra was quoted as saying. Soon, flames leapt directly toward Jaiswal's face causing minor injuries.
Mishra said it appeared as though a vacuum had formed inside the effigy due to trapped air, creating a pressure that propelled the flames toward the MLA's face.
Video showed party workers present at the scene immediately rushing to extinguish the fire. The injured MLA was then taken to the district hospital in a police vehicle.
BJP district vice president Rahul Rai suggested that an excessive amount of petrol or spirit on the effigy could have led to the incident.
The CMS said that the MLA wished to travel to Lucknow to seek better medical consultation and the opinion of a plastic surgeon, and left the district hospital for Lucknow.