E-Paper
Tension in Phulpur after polling
Communal tension gripped Phulpur township on Friday evening after voting came to an end when one section of people set ablaze at least six shops belonging to members of one community, damaged the sector magistrate?s vehicle, stoned a PAC truck and also pelted stones at the police. Inspector Phulpur suffered a fracture on his hand in the incident. It all started after a clash between BJP and Samajwadi party activists over the issue of bogus voting. Police took two persons into custody.
Large-scale rigging, alleges BJP
Communal tension gripped Phulpur township on Friday evening after voting came to an end when one section of people set ablaze at least six shops belonging to members of one community, damaged the sector magistrate’s vehicle, stoned a PAC truck and also pelted stones at the police.
Inspector Phulpur suffered a fracture on his hand in the incident. It all started after a clash between BJP and Samajwadi party activists over the issue of bogus voting. Police took two persons into custody. The DM and the SSP have rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.
Meanwhile, around 60 per cent votes were cast in the nine Nagar Panchayats that went to polls in the third phase of local body elections in the district here today amid allegations of booth capturing and bogus voting at Sirsa, Phulpur Handia and Jhusi.
Though district magistrate Amrit Abhijat claimed no untoward incidents took place, but this was rubbished by BJP district president Narendra Deo Pandey who alleged large-scale rigging and violence by Samajwadi Party men.
He complained, “Throughout the day we kept trying to talk to the DM but could not get him on line. Ultimately, we complained to the SSP and SP (RA) trans-Ganga who noted our complaints and promised to take action.”
Pandey said a corporator candidate from Phulpur Ramakaran Kumar Maurya was assaulted by Samajwadi Party workers. He had gone to the Phulpur police station to lodge FIR against the alleged attackers in the evening when the incident took place. He was critically injured and been referred to SRN Hospital.
“In Sirsa about 200 bogus voters had been transported by Minister Ujjwal Raman Singh last night to carry out bogus voting. Those who made any attempt to protest were beaten up by the police on duty,” Pandey alleged.
He further claimed that the brother of outgoing chairman Bhanu Agrawal was also beaten up by the police. The booth in Sirsa was captured by SP men who did what they wanted, he alleged.
He said there were similar reports from Phulpur and Jhusi. BJP agents and workers were shooed away from the booths by Samajwadi Party men.
“Muslim voters were not asked to furnish any proof of their identity whereas Hindus were subjected to harassment”, he claimed. Pandey also said that hundreds of unauthorised persons were ferried to Jhusi last night by SP MLA Bijma Yadav for carrying out bogus voting. Three very sensitive polling centres at Irrigation department, PWD guest house and GGIC were besieged by SP men since morning and bogus voting was carried out by them, he added.
Pandey said he had faxed his complaint to the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, UPCC spokesperson Kishore Varshney accused Samajwadi Party workers of booth capturing in Phulpur. When Samajwadi Party men saw that Congress candidate for the post of chairman Gopal Krishna Dwivedi alias Raja Babu was leading, SP activists captured three booths and cast bogus votes.
Cops stood as mute spectators and did nothing to stop the SP goons, he alleged. Similarly, large-scale rigging was carried out in trans-Yamuna area where police sided with Samajwadi Party to get the polls rigged in their favour, alleged Varshney.
Meanwhile, trouble was reported from Handia last night where supporters of two candidates who were claiming support from BSP, clashed with each other over the issue. Later, they raised slogans against the police and blocked movement of vehicles on the GT road.
Sources said, supporters of Ahmad Ansari and Suresh Seth both claimed BSP support. Police later took Ahmad Ansari to the police station but incidentally he developed some heart trouble and had to be rushed for medical aid.
