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Amid a wave of allegations of electoral malpractices in the bypolls to nine Uttar Pradesh Assembly seats, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has shared a video in which a police officer can be seen charging at women with a revolver pointed at them. Mr Yadav has identified the cop as in-charge of Kakrouli police station in Muzaffarnagar district's Meerapur Assembly segment.
"The SHO of Kakrouli police station in Meerapur must be suspended immediately because he is threatening voters with a revolver and stopping them from voting," he wrote in a post on X.
In the video he shared, a woman is heard telling the cop, "You don't have the order to fire." The cop, revolver in hand, walks towards her shouting, "we have the orders". The woman stands her ground and says, "This is not right." It is not clear what prompted the cops' action in the alley.
मीरापुर के ककरौली थाना क्षेत्र के SHO को चुनाव आयोग तुरंत निलंबित किया जाए, क्योंकि वो रिवॉल्वर से धमकाकर वोटर्स को वोट डालने से रोक रहे हैं। @ECISVEEP @SECUttarPradesh@rajivkumarec@spokespersonECI@ceoup#ECI#YouAreTheOne#IVoteForSure#UPPolitics#SamajwadiParty pic.twitter.com/WfiygzqO0t
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 20, 2024
The cop has been identified as Station House Officer Rajiv Sharma.
This comes hours after rioting and stone-pelting between two groups in Kakrouli village this morning. Police had to use force to bring the situation under control. Police also held a march to restore peace.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar, Abhishek Singh said two groups had clashed near a polling booth and police had to use mild force to disperse them. Two sub-inspectors on duty in the Meerapur Assembly segment were suspended after they were accused of blocking voters.
The Samajwadi Party has accused the police of "misbehaving" with voters in Meerapur. "They are being stopped from casting their votes, voting is getting affected. Police is misbehaving with voters and using lathis on women at booth number 318 of Mirapur assembly constituency in Muzaffarnagar. Election Commission should take cognizance and ensure fair voting," the Opposition party said on X.
The bypolls to nine Assembly seats has sparked heated exchanges between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Samajwadi Party. While Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has alleged over multiple posts that cops are stopping and intimidating voters, state BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhary has accused the Opposition party of deploying goons and mafia on the ground out of frustration.
Chief Electoral Officer of Uttar Pradesh police Navdeep Rinwa have said five cops have been suspended. "Voter IDs must be checked by poll staff inside the booth. Cops outside will not check IDs or stop anyone. If such complaints come, we will take action," he said.
The poll officer was responding to Mr Yadav's allegation that police were checking voter cards of people and stopping them casting their vote.