Video of Shivpal Yadav ‘bullying’ voters goes viral, SP leader clarifies

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav said the video was presented ‘after twisting its content.’

Published on: Apr 6, 2024, 10:36:33 IST

By HT News Desk

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Days before the first phase of Lok Sabha Election 2024, Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav has landed in a controversy for allegedly threatening voters in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun. In a video going viral on social media, Shivpal Yadav appears to be talking about "dealing later with people" who do not vote for the party.

"We will seek everyone's vote. If you vote for us, it is all right. Otherwise, the matter will be settled later," he is heard saying in Hindi. In the video, the SP MLA from Sahaswan, Brajesh Yadav, and Shivpal's son are also seen on the stage along with Yadav.

Speaking about the incident, Badaun district magistrate Manoj Kumar said, "We have traced the video. The office of the chief electoral officer of UP has sought information about this video. The video's contents are being probed. Based on the probe report, action will be taken."

However, clarifying his stand later Shivpal Yadav told a news channel later, “That video, which was shown, was of 20-25 seconds. What was spoken before that (video) and after that was not shown.”

"I had only said for those who had become MLAs after contesting the assembly elections as SP candidates, but had voted for the other parties," he added.

Samajwadi Party leader Brajesh Yadav told PTI, "The video has been presented after twisting its content. This video is of March 15. It was when Shivpal Yadav was going towards Gunnaur. He made the statement in the Bilsi assembly constituency of Badaun."

Meanwhile, reacting to the video, BJP leader MP Brij Lal said that threatening and bullying people was the basic character of the SP. Shivpal Yadav threatening people who do not vote for his party and saying about settling accounts with such people have made it very clear that criminals, mafia and rioters are very close to the SP, the BJP MP said.

This is not the first time the SP leaders have said this. The public has seen and tolerated their actions… In the 2022 assembly elections, at least one of their candidates in every district had been a criminal or a known goon of the area, he claimed.

Shivpal Yadav is an MLA of the Samajwadi Party from Jaswantnagar in Etawah district.

(With inputs from PTI)

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