Akhilesh Yadav takes a dig at UP govt for 'publicising' FIR against SP workers & him

Responding to the FIR registered against him, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. Sharing the FIR, the former UP CM said that the BJP government is highlighting the case registered against him and if needed they might also install hoardings of the same in Lucknow. Yadav remarked that the FIR against him shows the 'frustration' of the BJP government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which he claimed is losing support across Uttar Pradesh. 

Police books Akhilesh & SO workers

Cracking down on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Moradabad Police has filed an FIR on Yadav and 20 other SP leaders on Saturday, for allegedly attacking media personnel at a recent press meeting. The FIR has been filed under Sections 147 (rioting), 342 (wrongful confinement), & 323 (causing hurt) of IPC. SP has called the move a 'dictatorship', fearmongering that all jails will be filled. Recently on Monday, Samajwadi Party (SP) workers allegedly attacked reporters in the presence of Yadav at Moradabad.

On Friday, the ex-UP CM claimed that the 'attack was done by the press at someone's behest'. Defending his workers' action, Yadav claimed a conspiracy was afoot to trap him and his workers in the lift. Lashing out at the media, he claimed that the press was 'attacking Samajwadis and that such attacks will continue till elections'. 

What happened at Moradabad?

On Monday, Samajwadi Party (SP) workers attacked reporters in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav. The video from the incident shows how Akhilesh Yadav's security personnel, along with SP workers, heckled media persons in full public view at Hotel Holiday Regency while the former UP CM watched on. In multiple videos of the attack doing rounds, SP workers can be seen heckling a reporter who attempted to pose questions to Akhilesh Yadav following which the reporter falls to the ground. SP workers, sporting red caps, can be seen pushing media persons following which Akhilesh Yadav is heard telling the media that the reporter was working for a 'BJP's channel'.

Slamming the incident, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi called out SP's hooliganism, quoting CM Yogi Adityanath's words. Highlighting how SP workers were manhandling the media in the party chief's presence, he said that the party should 'drown in shame'. Similarly,  UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu called SP's assault on media persons as an insult to 'Lohiya's Samajwadi' while condemning the attack.