Lucknow: FIR against ex-BSP MLA for ‘bounty’ remark

“In support of his allegations, Raju Kalra has submitted newspaper cuttings. I am yet to record his statement,” said investigating officer of the case, Avadhesh Kumar. Kalra could not be contacted for his comment.

Speaking at a rally in Chandauli last Saturday, the Mughalsarai MLA had said that Mayawati had “sold her dignity” for power, and was “worse than a kinnar (eunuch)”. Two days later, she had issued an apology and claimed that she had only intended to remind the BSP chief of the guest house incident and also about the help the BJP had provided to her. “In the recent speech given by me, I had no intention to disrespect anyone. My intention was only to remind of the help the BJP had provided to Mayawati on June 2, 1995, in context of the Guest House incident. If my words have hurt anyone, I am deeply apologetic,” Sadhana Singh had said.

A day after the rally, BSP’s chief zonal in-charge for Varanasi and Azamgarh, Ram Chandra Gautam filed an application with Baburi police station requesting lodging of an FIR against Sadhana Singh. He also submitted a CD of the MLA’s speech to the police.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Chandauli, Santosh Kumar Singh, said, “We have taken legal opinion on the complaint filed and found no casteist words used by the MLA against the BSP chief. It was found that whatever the MLA had said was related to a particular incident and the person. No case of SC/ST is made out.” “The statements comes under defamation and victim is free to approach the court. I have given in writing to the complainant that no case could be made out of it,” he added.

In a similar incident on July 20, 2016, then state BJP vice-president Dayashanker Singh had made derogatory remark against Mayawati at a public meeting in Mau district. Then Samajwadi Party government had got a case lodged against Dayashanker on charges, including promoting enmity on grounds of caste, religion and also SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act. He was arrested on July 29 and sent to jail by a court. BJP had then expelled him from the party for six years the same day he made the comment, but revoked the expulsion on March 12, 2017.

When the Chandauli SP was reminded of this incident, he said, “These are two separate matters and different words used in the comment. I cannot speak on the previous one. I have acted on the report of the joint director, prosecution.”

When contacted, Gautam confirmed to have received a letter from the police and said, “We will take some decision and everyone will know about it soon.” Gautam refused to share any more details about it.