Uttar Pradesh: A man dressed up as an advocate hurled a shoe at Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya in Lucknow during a party event. The attacker was later roughed up by Maurya's supporters. The supporters of the SP leader caught and thrashed the person who threw a shoe at Maurya. According to reports, the accused has been identified as Akash Saini. Maurya was holding a conference at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow on Monday on the thoughts of great personalities associated with the past society and their relevance today.
"The accused has been taken to a hospital and further details will be known after questioning him," Assistant Commissioner of Police (Lucknow) Aniandy Vikram Singh told PTI. The alleged assailant, Akash Saini, was dressed as a lawyer, the officer said.
He was taken into custody by the Vibhuti Khand police. The incident took place at the SP's one-day 'mahasammelan' at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. Party president Akhilesh Yadav was scheduled to address the event. He had not reached the venue at the time of the incident.
Maurya, a prominent OBC leader in Uttar Pradesh who had defected to the SP from the BJP just before the 2022 assembly elections, has been in the thick of a controversy over his remarks on the Ramcharitmanas and Hindu temples.
More details are awaited.
