After leaving the field almost clear for Samajwadi Party candidate, Dimple Yadav, in the Kannauj by-elections, opposition parties are now accusing the Samajwadis of have used “undemocratic” means to prevent candidates from filing nominations.
BJP candidate Jagdev Singh Yadav who could not reach Kannauj in time to file his nomination papers on Wednesday, told reporters on Thursday that his vehicle was stopped thrice by Samajwadis while he was travelling from Kanpur to Kannauj to file nomination papers.
“I was deliberately delayed by SP workers and then allowed to proceed after the time for filing nomination papers expired. This was deliberately done to prevent me from entering the fray,” he told reporters in Kanpur.
The Peace Party, meanwhile, alleged that Samajwadi Party activists stormed their office in Kannauj on the night of June 5 and abducted 7 of the national and state level leaders after tearing up the nomination papers of the party candidate. The SP workers also snatched `20,000 cash and mobiles of Peace party leaders.
Peace Party president Dr Ayub said that the UP DGP, SSP Kannauj and ADG (law and order) had been informed of the incident by fax and email but no action has yet been taken. He said that the leaders who have been missing since the incident are Afroz Badal, Shabir Ali, Maulana Rehan Raza , Siraj Talib, Riaz Khan, Maulana Jamal Nasir, Aminullah, Azimullah, Rambachan Chauhan and Saba Patel.
The third charge against the Samajwadi Party in Kannauj comes from the little known Al-Hind Party that has alleged that the party president Onkar Nath Katiyar was keen to contest from Kannauj, but was prevented by officials from doing so.
In a press statement, the Al-Hind party advisor P.S. Verma alleged a nexus between politicians and bureaucrats and termed the situation as dangerous for the Indian democracy.
The Al-Hind party leader also alleged that their complaints with the EC also fell on deaf ears, as no action could be initiated to help them file their papers.
Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Choudhury meanwhile, termed the allegations as “cheap attempt to get publicity”. “The people who are levelling allegations are political nonentities and if there was any truth in their allegations then how come two independents have also filed their nominations from Kannauj,” he said.