Violence erupts in 12 Uttar Pradesh districs during filing of nominations for block pramukh polls

LUCKNOW: Violence erupted on Thursday in at least 12 UP districts during filing of nominations for block chairman elections with Samajwadi Party and BJP cadres clashing with crude bombs and bricks and a shocking video emerging on social media of a SP-backed candiate's proposer being pulled by her sari by two men in Lakhimpur Kheri.
While nomination papers of candidates were torn in Unnao, Etah, Siddharthnagar, Lalitpur and Lakhimpur Kheri, crude bombs were hurled and bullets flew in Sitapur and heavy brick-batting was reported in Kannauj.In Jhansi, SP workers accused BJP leaders of forcibly stopping them from filing nominations. And hours after the SP worker was manhandled in Lakhimpur Kheri, a sexual harassment case was filed by police. The woman was a proposer for the SP candidate, whose nomination papers were allegedly torn.
Additional director general of police, law and order, Prashant Kumar, said, minor clashes took place in 14 places and all district police chiefs have been told to act against law breakers. “Adequate security along with a company of women cops have been deployed at all sensitive polling centres and videography and surveillance is being done with drones,” said Kumar.
Sitapur district magistrate Vishal Bharadwaj said, a man was rushed to Lucknow hospital with bullet wounds during filing of nominations at Kasmanda. “Four persons have been detained. A probe is underway, and an FIR would be lodged,” he said. In Bahraich, SP candidate Devendra Singh and his supporters stormed into the nomination centre at Nanpara and clashed with cops in which a constable suffered injuries. SP Bahraich Sujata Singh said, an FIR was registered against 5 people and 60 members of Samajwadi Party.
In Etah, lawlessness prevailed at Marhara block. Nomination papers were snatched from Samajwadi Party candidate Guddi Devi which triggered off violence and several policemen were injured in the standoff. In Lalitpur too, BJP workers allegedly tried to snatch the nomination papers of a SP candidate.
While in Kannauj, a TV journalist was assaulted while he was on his way to file nomination, SP candidate’s nomination paper was allegedly snatched in the presence of former Speaker Mata Prasad in Siddharthnagar.
Similar incidents were reported from Unnao’s Nawabganj area, where SP members alleged BJP cadres tried to snatch their candidate’s nomination papers.
In Chitrakoot’s Manikpur, SP members alleged that BJP cadres stopped their candidate from filing nomination and in Banda, a minor scuffle broke out between rivals and in neighbouring Jalaun, BJP workers engaged in a verbal duel with police.
At Powai block of Azamgarh district, BJP workers allegedly attacked the SP candidate while in Sant Kabir Nagar’s Belhar block, former SP minister Laxmikant alias Pappu Nishad along with candidate Rikeshwar Rai clashed with BJP workers near the nomination centre. Rai suffered injuries during a police crackdown. Police chiefs in all districts said, they were probing cases of violence and FIRs would be registered