Rae Bareli: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meets injured MLA, Panchayat members; UP govt denies any role

Denying any role in the violence, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh claimed it to be a group clash between two factions of the Congress. The overturning of the MLA's vehicle was due to rash driving, it added.

The UP government has ordered a magistrate probe into the incident and asked Vadra not to get involved in local politics.

Vadra rushed to Rae Bareli this morning when she was on her way to Salempur and Varanasi for campaigning and went directly to the Tilak Bhawan, the district party headquarters, to meet the party panchayat members, Aditi and others.

"I am with you all and will go to any extent required. Will take legal opinion for lodging an FIR against the Rae Bareli district authorities for their partisan role and if need be will knock the doors of the Election Commission," she told the leaders at the district office here.

Later, she spoke to critically injured panchayat member Rajesh Awasthi over the phone. Awasthi was badly beaten by the goons during the attack.

"We are with you all and will do whatever required to counter this illegal act. You are not alone," she told Awasthi, who is admitted to the SGPGI in Lucknow and would undergo surgery later in the day.

The Congress general secretary also promised to visit the Panchayat member on at SGPGI on Thursday as she had a busy schedule today.

Meanwhile, UP deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma, in Lucknow, denied the role of the state government or the Rae Bareli administration in the attack.
"The district has ordered a magistrate probe and formed five police teams to nab the culprits," he said, while admitting that an FIR has been registered against the culprits.

Advising Ms Vadra against getting 8involved in local politics, the deputy CM said, ''The Congress leaders are frustrated about the panchayat being captured by the BJP and thus they are trying to make wild allegations on the authorities. "
" It was a group clash between two factions of the Congress which resulted in yesterday's incident," he further added.

Dr Sharma claimed that on the apprehension of the Congress members, the district authorities had deployed three companies of additional PAC and even the MLA have been given additional security. "How can anyone allege partison role of the state government," he questioned.

BJP candidate from Rae Bareli and MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh also addressed the media in Lucknow claiming innocence in the incident.

Dismissing allegations against him and his brother, Singh said, “We might have different political ideologies but no one in Rae Bareli can believe that I have conspired an attack on Aditi, who is like a daughter to me. Me along with my brothers are ready for any kind of probe into the matter.”

No confidence move against his brother and District Panchayat Chief Awadhesh Pratap Singh was defeated and BJP has now the support of 31 members, he added.

Meanwhile, a day after the incident, an FIR has been registered against six people, including BJP Lok Sabha candidate and MLC Dinesh Singh and his two brothers.

The MLA, who was on her way to Rae Bareli from Lucknow on Tuesday morning to participate in no-confidence motion against Zila Panchayat Chief Awadhesh Singh, brother of Dinesh Singh, has alleged that the goons of the BJP MLC opened fire on her car near Modi School in Harchandpur.

An FIR has been registered under various sections of the IPC against Dinesh Singh, Awadhesh Singh, Ramesh Singh, Abhishek Singh, Tera Singh, Bachcha Singh and seven unidentified people. However, no arrest has been made in the case so far.

The Congress MLA suffered injuries in the attack, in which her car turned turtle as the driver tried to speed away. She was treated at a local hospital.

Many in Rae Bareli now fear that the incident may incite gang war between old enemies Akhilesh Singh, Aditi's father and five time former MLA from Rae Bareli, and BJP MLC Dinesh Singh, who once worked for the Congress leader.

Meanwhile, Shiva Singh — a henchman of Dinesh Singh — was murdered on Tuesday evening, further fuelling speculations of a gang war. However, district administration has denied any links between the attack on Aditi Singh and the murder of Shiva Singh, terming these two incidents as separate.

Soon after the attack on the Congress MLA on Tuesday, senior Congress leaders raised questions on the law and order situation in the state and alleged that police was not taking any action against the culprits due to political pressure.

Speaking to media, Congresss MLA Lallu Singh said, “The law and order situation of the state has gone into the hands of goons and the remote of goons is in the hands of UP CM Yogi Aditynath. This state government which is giving shelter to goons, now stands exposed. When a MLA is attacked in broad daylight then you can very well imagine how safe would be the common people in the state. There is total anarchy in the state and after sensing their defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, now BJP has resorted to such cheap tricks.”