VIP chief Mukesh Sahni stopped at Varanasi airport; Phoolan Devi statues seized by police

Throwing a damper on Vikasheel Insan Party's (VIP) decision to celebrate late dacoit-turned-politician Phoolan Devi's death anniversary, party chief Mukesh Sahni was stopped at Varanasi airport on Saturday, by UP police. Similarly, party workers were held at Hotel de Paris in Varanasi and did not allow them to meet Sahni.VIP planned to install 18 statues of Phoolan Devi to mark her 20th death anniversary and hold a garlanding ceremony at 18 districts in UP. Sahni, who is currently a part of the Nitish Kumar govt, launched his party's UP unit on July 2.

VIP chief not allowed to enter Varanasi

Addressing the media in Varanasi, a VIP leader said, "Our party chief Mukesh Sahni was not stopped at Varanasi airport and we were held at Hotel de Paris. We have decided to hold the ceremony at any other time after taking the administration's permission. We want to tell the govt VIP is here and is to stay". He also said that the BJP is showing its "casteist mentality", and added the party will hold protests over this issue. Police officials seized the 18-foot Phoolan Devi statues citing that the party did not have permission to install the statues or hold the ceremony.

VIP had planned to install statues at districts like Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Auraiya, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Maharajganj in private lands. As per reports, when the party had tried to install a statue in Sujabad, locals had objected to it and the police stopped it as the party had tried to install the statue in government lands without permission. Tendering an apology, the party has now decided to hold 'Shahadat Diwas' (Martyr's day) for the Nishad dacoit at their private properties, but is yet to get the administration's nod. VIP is set to contest in 165 seats in UP state polls. Recently, Sahni has been raising eyebrows as he met Bihar Opposition leaders - Chirag Paswan, Lalu Yadav.

About Phoolan Devi

Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi and her gang members were accused of killing 20 people belonging to the Thakur community at Behmai village in Kanpur Dehat on February 14, 1981. Phoolan Devi had reportedly stormed into Behmai to avenge her alleged rape by two other bandits, both belonging to the upper caste Thakurs. When they were not found, she shot 20 people belonging to the same community and then surrendered to police in 1983.

Later, she spent 11 years in Gwalior and Jabalpur jails and was released without facing trial in 1994. However, in 1996, Mulayam Singh Yadav's UP government withdrew all cases against her. She then went on to become an MP from Mirzapur. She was shot dead outside her Delhi home on July 25, 2001. Recently, a Kanpur court adjourned the Behmai Massacre case hearing as the case diary had gone missing.