UP Police quashes allegation of BJP MLA Vinay Shakya's 'kidnapping' as politics heats up

In a new twist in the UP elections, the Auraiya Police rejected Riya Shakya's allegation that her father and BJP legislator Vinay Shakya has been kidnapped. According to her, her uncle Devesh and her grandmother took him away to Lucknow in order to make him join Samajwadi Party forcefully. Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Auraiya SP Abhishek Verma revealed that he had spoken to the BJP leader who assured him that he was safe and at his Etawah residence. According to the IPS officer, Riya Shakya's complaint was influenced by a family dispute. 

Auraiya SP Abhishek Verma remarked, "Today, the police found a viral video on social media in which MLA Vinay Shakya's daughter Riya Shakya alleged that MLA Vinay Shakya has been forcefully taken to Lucknow by his brother Devesh Shakya and their mother. The police investigated this. I personally spoke to the MLA via video call. It was found that he is with his family members at his Etawah residence in Shanti Colony.

"His security personnel, i.e two police officials were also present there. An officer of Deputy SP rank is present at his Etawah residence. He said that the legislator is safe and at his residence. The video on social media is baseless," he added. As per reports, 4 BJP MLAs close to Swami Prasad Maurya- Shakya, Roshan Lal Verma, Brijesh Prajapati and Bhagwati Sagar too have resigned and are likely to join SP. 

Swami Prasad Maurya's exit stuns BJP

A prominent OBC leader, Swami Prasad Maurya had joined the saffron party in the presence of the then BJP president Amit Shah on August 8, 2016, after serving in BSP for two decades. This was perceived as a big boost to BJP ahead of the 2017 UP Assembly polls owing to the fact that he was the Leader of Opposition from 2012 to 2016. After BJP swept the election by winning a whopping 312 seats in the 403-member House, Maurya was immediately inducted into UP's Council of Ministers.

In the resignation letter sent to Governor Anandiben Patel on Tuesday, Swami Prasad Maurya wrote, "Sir, in the Cabinet of Hon'ble Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Ji, as the Minister of Labour, Employment and Coordination, I discharged my responsibilities with utmost attention in spite of adverse circumstances and different ideology. But I am resigning from the Cabinet of Uttar Pradesh due to the gross negligent attitude towards Dalits, backward classes, farmers, unemployed youth and small and medium enterprises traders". Later, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav welcomed him into the party fold.