BJP flays SSP, calls him an agent of SP

THE NEWLY appointed district police chief Ashutosh Pandey came under fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party who dubbed him as an ?agent? of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

THE NEWLY appointed district police chief Ashutosh Pandey came under fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party who dubbed him as an ‘agent’ of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

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The new SSP, transferred to Varanasi from Lucknow last month, the BJP leaders alleged, made a biased comment against the party which suited his ‘political bosses’.

“The SSP has released a statement in the media that about 375 BJP activists came out on the roads on June 7 protesting against the hike in petroleum products,” a release issued by the BJP alleged, adding the SSP had no business to make such a politically motivated statement. The BJP leaders including former minister Harishchander Srivastava, MLC JP Chautervedi, Dr MP Singh, Lakshman Achariya in a joint statement lashed at the SSP for this statement which said had many political connotations.

“How come the SSP knew that 375 BJP activists took to the streets?” the leaders asked. They added since no party activist was arrested that could have given the cop a clear picture about the number. The BJP leaders were of the view that since the party held protest demonstrations across the country against the steep price hike in petroleum products, the Varanasi wing of the party also organised protests everywhere in the district and also blocked rail traffic. Therefore, the statement of the police chief giving a ‘distorted’ figure was baffling.

“If the police officer indulges in politics while in service, it is better he joins the party and act as its spokesperson,” the BJP advised. The police chief, however, was not available for comments. It may be mentioned some newspapers had quoted the SSP saying 375 BJP activists came out on the roads protesting against the petro price hike on June 7.