How row pushed him from sidelines to the limelight

Agarwal’s plan to hold an antiliquor stir appears to be his way of deflecting criticism and turning it into a people’s movement

LUCKNOW: Drawing flak for purportedly rebuking a woman IPS officer, BJP MLA Radha Mohan Das Agarwal plans to launch an agitation against liquor outlets running in residential areas of Gorakhpur.

The agitation appears to be his way of channeling the controversy, which is affecting his image, into a people’s movement and turning the situation to his advantage.

“I went to the spot to fight for the cause of the women who had launched a movement against the liquor outlets. They were beaten by police led by ASP Charu Nigam. I will sit on dharna against the opening of liquor shops in residential areas,” he said.

Agarwal was once a confidant of chief minister Yogi Adityanath. But differences between the duo apparently arose during the recently concluded assembly election.

A four-term MLA, he was a strong contender for a ministerial berth, but did not find a place in the Yogi cabinet.

Political observers were surprised at the sidelining of Agarwal, a prominent face of the state BJP.

During the party’s days in the opposition from 2002 to 2017, Agarwal was in the forefront of the party’s fight in the house and outside.

In the last five years, he was the second in command to BJP legislature party leader Suresh Khanna, raising public issues and attacking the Samajwadi Party (SP) government in the assembly.

A senior BJP leader, who did not wish to be named, said, “As Agarwal’s clout in the party grew, so did his ambition. After the BJP’s landslide victory, his name figured among the contenders of the chief minister’s post. He enjoyed the support of senior BJP and RSS leaders and was sure of getting the top post in the government. But his calculations went awry with the elevation of local MP Yogi Adityanath to the CM’s post. Though several confidants of Yogi found cabinet berths, the doors were closed on Agarwal,” he said.

The controversy over his rebuffing the woman IPS officer has put him in the limelight again. Addressing a press conference on Monday, he said, “Though Yogi has gone to Lucknow, the people should not feel orphaned. I am here to take care of the have-nots.”

“The effort is to strengthen the ties with Yogi,” the BJP leader said. Sources said that after the controversy, the Gorakhpur district administration has decided to register an FIR against Agarwal.

After a telephone call from Lucknow, the district administration registered an FIR against some other protestors and unidentified people.

A noted child specialist, Agarwal caught the public eye nearly two decades ago for treating poor patients free of charge and organising health camps in slums and villages. He was affiliated with right-wing organisations Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Jagran Manch since his student days.

During the 2002 assembly election when differences between the BJP and Yogi Adityanath widened, Yogi fielded Agarwal on the Hindu Mahasabha ticket from Gorakhpur Sadar seat.

Agarwal emerged a giant killer, defeating former minister and senior BJP leader Shiv Pratap Shukla. There has been no looking back for Agarwal since then. He held various posts on the state legislative assembly committees.

Despite having a good medical practice and being in politics for over a decade, Agarwal moves in an old Maruti 800 car.

Known to be accessible, he visits many localities regularly and discusses civic issues with the residents. He has taken on the administration on public issues by organising sit-ins and demonstrations.

Talking to HT, Agarwal said, “I had no argument with the ASP but the facts were distorted by the media. I will continue to fight for the public cause and support the prohibition movement launched by women.”