Ballia firing: BJP leader's brother among two arrested; MLA Surendra Singh defends main accused

Police on Friday arrested two people including the brother of a local BJP leader who allegedly shot dead a man when a fracas broke out at a meeting attended by administration and police officials in Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district. Five others were detained but till Friday night the main accused was yet to be arrested. As opposition parties targeted the state's BJP government, local party MLA Surendra Singh defended him. "Dhirendra Pratap Singh opened fire in self-defence or else dozens of his family and associates would have been killed," the Bairia MLA told reporters.