BJP Spokesperson from Uttar Pradesh Rakesh Tripathi reportedly received threat calls from a person from UP’s Mainpuri in the wee hours of today morning. The leader has lodged an FIR over the incident alleging the role of the Samajwadi Party behind the incident.
Less than 12 hours after #BJP MP #SPSinghBaghel convey allegedly attacked in #Mainpuri, party spokesperson @rakeshbjpup has lodged FIR in #Lucknow alleging that unidentified man from #Mainpuri gave him life threat over phone call.#UttarPradeshElections2022 pic.twitter.com/qJqmTciqpS
— Arvind Chauhan (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) February 16, 2022
UP BJP leader and spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi received two calls – the first at 6:45 AM and then another later in the morning threatening him for life after hurling abuses. It was found that the calls came from a person located in UP’s Mainpuri, which Tripathi had visited two days earlier for campaigning. An FIR has been registered by the leader at Ashiyana station in Lucknow East.
Speaking to OpIndia, Rakesh Tripathi said, “Today morning I got a call at 6:45, wherein a person was continuously abusing me and gave me life threats. I contacted the Police to inform the same, after which I received a second similar call. In the second call, A person named Amit Yadav threatened me that I will be attacked soon,”
Alleging the role of the Samajwadi Party behind this, Rakesh Tripathi described the sequence of events after he visited Mainpuri. “Two days before, I had visited Mainpuri to participate in a debate by AajTak, which turned out to be very enthusiastic among BJP workers while Samajwadi party was dejected. Yesterday, I had also raised my voice against the attack on SP Singh Baghel’s convoy on many TV channels,” he added.
Here is his statement. pic.twitter.com/KUjItyXgGN
— Arvind Chauhan (@Arv_Ind_Chauhan) February 16, 2022
Talking about the politics behind the act, he asserted, “We are very much concerned about the repeated attacks on our party leaders, be it the attack on SP Singh Baghel in Karhal or the attack on RS MP Geeta Shakya’s car. The reason behind this might be the dwindling fate of Akhilesh Yadav as a candidate from Karhal.” He asserted, “They are trying to threaten us, attack us but we will not budge as we continue to have faith in democracy. We will keep on fighting,”
The attacks on BJP leaders in UP has seen a rise as the assembly elections in the state are on the way. On February 14, BJP MP from Rajya Sabha Geeta Shakya was attacked in Mainpuri while she was in her car. Stones and mud were hurled at her car, while her driver had been severely injured in the incident. On Tuesday evening in Mainpuri’s Karhal, Union Minister and BJP leader Satya Pal Singh Baghel was attacked and pelted with stones as well.
It is to be noted that Mainpuri has been a stronghold of the Samajwadi Party while Akhilesh Yadav has chosen Karhal as his constituency for the first time. Karhal goes to the polls on February 20 in the third phase of assembly elections this year.
