Farmers Movement Archive

Days after Jhabreda BJP MLA was accosted by locals in viral video, 5 booked

Roorkee: Two days after Jhabreda BJP MLA Deshraj Karanwal was accosted in a village in his constituency for “not doing any developmental work”, five villagers who had allegedly “misbehaved” with the MLA were booked under the SC/ST act. On Wednesday, when Karanwal went to Bhagtowali village to take stock of the operations at a community health clinic, a group of people surrounded him and told him off for not doing enough. “The respect you get is because of your post, you don’t deserve it. If you were not an MLA, we would thrash you with a wooden bar,” a man can be heard saying to the legislator in a video that has since gone viral. Karanwal had dismissed the incident as a “set-up” planned by his rivals who were eying political gains in the upcoming Uttarakhand assembly elections. On Thursday, Karanwal’s personal secretary Jitendra Kumar filed a complaint with Jhabreda police station, demanding action against those who publicly threatened the MLA. Meanwhile, local farmer groups threatened a “large agitation” if any of the farmers who accosted Karanwal were penalised. “We are totally against of BJP legislators visiting villages, even as farmers’ agitation continues at Delhi borders. If police are working under pressure of the ruling BJP, we will stage an agitation against them,” said Vijay Pal Shastri, district president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU). Police said an investigation in underway and if needed, action will be taken. “Of the total accused, two have been identified and the rest are unknown. We are examining the video. The circle officer is keeping tabs on the inquiry.If the complaint is found to be true, prompt action will be taken without taking into account pressure from farmers’ groups or political leaders,” said Ravindra Kumar, in-charge of Jhabreda police station.

The Times of India

2021-05-22

Dehradun