Three held for hurling tomatoes, eggs at minister’s residence

LUCKNOW: Three people were arrested on Sunday for hurling tomatoes and eggs at the official residence of UP minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Omprakash Rajbhar in the high-security Gautampalli area on Saturday afternoon, police said.

A group of protestors, some of them wearing red caps like those of the Samajwadi Party, hurled tomatoes and eggs on the minister’s residence in response to his statement in Varanasi on Friday where he had said Yadavs and Rajputs drank more heavily than other communities.

The minister was away to Jaunpur to attend a wedding

THE REACTION CAME AS A RESPONSE TO HIS STATEMENT WHERE HE HAD SAID YADAVS AND RAJPUTS DRANK MORE HEAVILY THAN OTHER COMMUNITIES

when his residence was targeted on Saturday.

Vijay Sen, the inspector of Gautampalli police station, said those arrested were identified as Lal Bahadur Yadav, Amit Yadav and Parmil Yadav, all residents of Hanshkheda village in Para area of Lucknow.

He said the police zeroed in on the trio through video footage of a group of people hurling tomatoes and eggs at the minister’s residence.

He said at least 15 more people, several of them wearing the red Samajwadi Party cap, were identified through the video footage and their list had been prepared. He said the identified people will be arrested soon.

He said although no FIR was filed by the minister’s staff, the police on Sunday registered an FIR under Section 147 (rioting) and Section 427 (mischief and causing damage to the amount of ₹ 50) of the Indian Penal Code against the group.