SP Maurya, daughter Sanghamitra booked for BJP-SP scuffle after attack on his convoy

A day after BJP-turned-SP neta Swami Prasad Maurya's car was attacked, the UP police have filed an FIR on Wednesday, naming Maurya himself, his daughter Sanghmitra Maurya and his son Ashok Maurya along with 49 people. The FIR was in connection to the scuffle that broke out between SP and BJP leaders after Maurya's car was allegedly attacked by BJP in Kushinagar. Maurya - an ex-Yogi cabinet member is in the poll fray from Fazilnagar against BJP's Surendra Kushwaha on Thursday - in phase 6 of UP polls.

Swami Prasad Maurya booked 

On Tuesday, Maurya alleged that his convoy was attacked by BJP workers while campaigning in Kushinagar. He revealed that his convoy came under attack near the Vishupura Khanwa Patti village in Fazilnagar during his scheduled roadshow purportedly injuring many of his supporters and damaging the vehicles. Briefing the media later, the former UP Minister stated that he escaped unhurt as he was sitting in a different car due to security reasons. 

"While doing a roadshow on the prescribed route, the vandalization and life-threatening attack on my car and the cars travelling in my convoy by BJP workers is a symbol of the desperation of the BJP. I strongly condemn this. Democracy cannot be weakened by sticks, guns and violence," he tweeted.

Backing this allegation, his daughter and BJP Lok Sabha MP Sanghmitra Maurya said, "It can be seen how cars were vandalised and people were injured. BJP talks about peace, today its candidate attacked my father. While being en route to meet him after the attack, BJP workers surrounded my convoy."

Coming down heavily on BJP, SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav remarked, "The attack on Swami Prasad Maurya Ji by people who are losing is a very condemnable act. This attack is equivalent to the attack on the workers and their leaders of every party of the SP-led alliance. Together we will answer this by making the BJP zero in the remaining two phases".

SP Maurya's exit ahead of UP elections

On January 11, Swami Prasad Maurya, who is a prominent OBC leader, resigned from the Yogi Adityanath-led cabinet and joined the Samajwadi Party three days later. Maurya who held the portfolios of Labour, Employment and Coordination, claimed that various sections of the society including Dalits, backward classes and youths were being neglected by the UP government. After his exit from the party, multiple BJP MLAs including Vinay Shakya, Roshan Lal Verma, Brijesh Prajapati, Bhagwati Sagar, Avtar Singh Bhadana, Dara Singh Chauhan and Mukesh Verma switched allegiance to other parties. Interestingly though, SP fielded Maurya from Fazilnagar instead of his current constituency Padrauna.