BJP leader shares dais with accused
AGARWAL, 40, IS ONE OF THE MAIN ACCUSED IN THE BULANDSHAHR VIOLENCE THAT LED TO THE KILLING OF INSPECTOR SUBODH KUMAR SINGH BY A MOB
nMEERUT: The photograph of a person — named in the violence that erupted after rumours of cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr in 2018 — with a local leader of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has triggered a controversy.
Shikhar Agarwal, the accused and a former leader of the BJP’S youth wing Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, has also been appointed the general secretary of the Bulandshahr unit of PM Jankalyankari Yojna Jagrukta Abhiyan (PMJYJA), a non-governmental organisation that works to spread awareness about welfare schemes of the Bjp-led Union government, according to the Opposition.
Agarwal, 40, is one of the main accused in the Bulandshahr violence that led to the killing of inspector Subodh Kumar Singh by a mob. As many as 26 named and 60 unnamed persons were booked in the case. Agarwal was released last August after spending seven months in jail.
BJP leaders in Bulandshahr have distanced themselves from Agarwal’s appointment. “PMJYJA is an NGO, which has no connection with the Bjp...being an independent organisation, they can take their decisions,” said Sanjay Gurjar, general secretary of the BJP’S Bulandshahr district unit.
Agarwal has been allegedly pictured with Bulandshahr BJP district unit chief Anil Sisodia on July 14 at an event in which new committee officials, including Agarwal, were handed out appointment letters.
HT tried to reach out to PMJYJA’S district president Priytam Singh Prem and western UP president Yatendra Kumar Sain, but there was no response till the filing of this report.
Congress leader Imran Masood said: “The appointment of Bulandshahar violence accused Shikhar Agarwal as general secretary of PMJYJA is an attempt to glorify an accused, which is unfortunate...”
Violence erupted outside the Chingrawthi police post in Bulandshahr after an alleged incident of cow slaughter in Mahav village early December 2018. Sumit, a resident of Chnigrawthi, was killed in alleged police firing, and inspector Singh of Syana police station was allegedly shot dead. Villagers also set a police post on fire and torched vehicles. A special investigation team was formed to probe the incident and it arrested people by identifying them through available videos and photographs.