The BJP party in Uttar Pradesh has expressed its support for Subrat Pathak, their Kannauj MP, who has been accused of attacking the Mandi police chowki. The incident involved Pathak and his associates trying to release a kidnapping suspect who had been arrested by the Unnao police last week. The policemen who were involved in the incident claimed that they were threatened with the outpost being set on fire.
Three sub-inspectors and four constables were injured during the altercation. The BJP’s state leadership has requested more information from the district unit before making a final judgement. However, the Uttar Pradesh BJP has publicly supported Pathak, stating that his presence at the scene hasn’t been confirmed.
UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary said that the party and the organization stood by Pathak, as he was a prominent leader who had effectively carried out his duties. BJP’s Kannauj district president Narendra Rajput said the party will stand by Pathak, and there are no official reports on his involvement in the incident.
The Samajwadi Party has criticized the BJP for ignoring the alleged actions of its leader and functioning undemocratically. The BJP is known to be treading on cautious ground as Pathak has a strong backing from the RSS. Pathak’s father, Om Prakash Pathak, and mother, Saroj Pathak, were also associated with the RSS. Subrat Pathak has been in the good books of the BJP central leadership, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigning for him in Kannauj during the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
