A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA’s car was allegedly attacked by members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) on Saturday evening when he was returning after a public meeting from Sisauli village in Muzaffarnagar. The BKU called it an example of growing disenchantment with the ruling dispensation in the region.
Umesh Malik, BJP MLA from Budhana in Muzaffarnagar, said his car was attacked by BKU workers when he was returning after addressing a meeting of Jan Kalyan Samiti on Saturday evening. “The attack was orchestrated by Narendra Tikait, younger brother of BKU president Naresh Tikait,” Mr. Malik told The Hindu.
Sisauli is the headquarter of the BKU and the native village of the Tikaits.
An FIR was lodged against nine named persons late on Saturday evening under Sections 307,147, 148, 149, 452, 323, 332, 353 and 427 of IPC. Mr Narendra Tikait was not named in the FIR, lodged on the complaint of one of the organisers of the meeting.
Mr. Malik said black oil was thrown at the car and its windscreens were smashed. “We somehow managed to save our lives. Five persons, including two police constables, suffered injuries in the pre-planned attack,” said Mr Malik.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media purportedly showed locals raising slogans against the MLA before smearing his SUV with a black chemical, and going on to break the side and back glass of the vehicle.
Mr. Malik said there was police presence in the village but they failed to stop the assailants. “We will raise the issue with higher officials,” he said.
After the incident, Cabinet Minister and Muzaffarnagar MP Sanjeev Balyan also reached the police station. In the presence of senior officials, Mr. Balyan, addressing his supporters, said they were not going anywhere, either “the SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) take action or don’t intervene”.
Mr. Malik alleged the BKU had little support in the region and a few ruffians were forced to raise slogans under the influence of alcohol.
Meanwhile, BKU president Naresh Tikait called a panchayat in Sisauli on Saturday evening wherein he threatened to court arrest if any of BKU workers were held. "The MLA has tried to put a hand in lion's mouth...he hasn't proved worthy of our votes. Why did he stealthily hold a meeting in Sisauli and called farmer leaders V.M. Singh and Ghulam Mohammed Jaula?" he asked.
Mr Tikait said Mr Singh and Mr Jaula understood the political situation and left.
Meanwhile, BKU media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said the incident was yet another example of the growing disenchantment with the ruling party in the region. “When a local MLA is welcomed with slogans, you could see the writing on the wall,” he said.
He said BKU workers were only asked to raise slogans and the rest of the “illegal activity” was “sponsored by the BJP” to break the farmers’ movement. “They have used such tactics in Haryana and now they are applying them in U.P.,” he claimed.
On the involvement of the younger Mr. Tikait, Mr. Malik said it was their village, “Naresh-ji was also present in Sisauli. They could name him as well,” he remarked
Local sources said senior officials had reached Budhana but, till late night, they refused to make a comment.
