Sant Kabir Nagar: Sanjay Nishad, a Minister from Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly attacked by some people while he was visiting a village within the Khalilabad Kotwali Police Station area to attend a wedding, police said on Monday. The minister's personal secretary Vinod Kumar filed a complaint in the matter.
What happened with Sanjay Nishad?
The incident took place late Sunday night in Mohammadpur Kathar village, where Nishad had gone to a wedding ceremony. He was approached by a group of individuals who questioned him about his work and his MP son's absence from the constituency. Following this confrontation, Nishad was allegedly attacked, resulting in an injury to his nose which started bleeding.
Nishad was promptly taken to a nearby hospital due to his bloody nose resulting from the altercation. Meanwhile, Nishad, who serves as the president of the Nishad party, a member of the ruling NDA coalition, staged a protest at the hospital along with his party workers. The protest concluded after Superintendent of Police Satyajit Gupta visited him at the hospital and provided assurance of taking appropriate action. Nishad pointed fingers at Samajwadi Party supporters, alleging their involvement in the attack.
According to the reports, 20 to 25 people attacked him. However, the police have registered a case of attempt to murder against eight people.
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Sanjay Nishad on attack
"I lead the Nishad community. Wherever my workers are, I make sure to attend their weddings. On Sunday, it was the wedding of my worker in Mohammadpur Kathar village. While I was waiting for the jaimala ceremony, some people from behind started making disrespectful remarks about my MP son Pravin Nishad and the Nishad party. I thought they might be from our community and I could explain things to them. We brought those people forward and asked them to talk to the MP when he arrived. They asked me, 'You're the minister, what have you done?'," Nishad told the media in Sant Kabir Nagar.
The minister claimed that when he requested the individuals to maintain decorum, they reportedly assaulted him. "My glasses broke, and I was hit on the nose … They were Yadavs. I won't take names. There were around 20-25 people. Since I came here, people have been trying to incite caste conflicts," Nishad said.
Police Circle Officer Brijesh Singh confirmed that Nishad, who was bleeding from his nose, was swiftly transported to a hospital where he received first aid treatment.
BJP attacks Samajwadi Party
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in a post on X attacked Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, saying "hooliganism will not be tolerated in the state." "Sapa bahadur Akhilesh Yadav, your party goons have launched a deadly attack on NISHAD party chief cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad. Strict action will be taken against the attackers and hooliganism will not be allowed to return to UP at all. 400-plus on June 4," he wrote.
Sanjay Nishad's son, Praveen Nishad, currently is a BJP MP from Sant Kabir Nagar and has been nominated once again by the ruling party. Praveen Nishad asserted that the assault on his father reflects the desperation of opposition parties and their apprehension of an impending defeat in the upcoming general election.
"Minister Ji has been attacked by some hooligans. This is a conspiracy of the opposition. The opposition is nervous due to the increasing popularity of the BJP. Police have been directed to take action against those involved in the incident," Praveen Nishad told reporters.
Four accused arrested
The Circle Officer said that the police have lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against six individuals from the village under sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He further said that four individuals - Raghavendra Yadav, Jai Prakash Yadav, Digvijay Yadav, and Abhishek Yadav - have been arrested. The Superintendent of Police added that the police are actively investigating the incident, assuring that the situation regarding law and order is under control.
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