An SP MLA in Uttar Pradesh has been booked by the Baghpat Police for clashing with them when they stopped him from going to Saharanpur. Atul Pradhan, the Sardhana MLA, has been charged with preventing police from carrying out their official duty, along with 15 others. Pradhan accused the police of manhandling and misbehaving with him and has informed the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker about the incident. He also staged a protest on the road and has promised to file a complaint against the police officials’ alleged misbehavior. However, the Baghpat Superintendent of Police, Arpit Vijayvargiya, denied Pradhan’s accusations and said that the policemen did not mistreat him.
The Gurjar community had conducted a ‘Samrat Mihir Bhoj Gaurav Yatra’ in Saharanpur’s Nakud area on May 29, which led to controversy when the Thakur community protested against it, claiming that the Gurjars had distorted history. The police sealed the border of Saharanpur with Muzaffarnagar to prevent entry of Gurjar and Thakur leaders who were going to attend the rally and protest, where Pradhan was also present. Initially, the police stopped Pradhan at Mawikala village, telling him he was not allowed to go to Saharanpur, but he broke the barrier and stopped near Sisana village in Muzaffarnagar district.
A case has been registered against Pradhan and his associates under Section 353 of the IPC for obstructing a public servant from carrying out his duty, according to the Baghpat SP.
