West Champaran sitting MP and BJP’s candidate Sanjay Jaiswal survived a murderous attack when an unruly mob armed with spears, pickaxes and lathis attacked him along with his close aide and former JD(U) MLA Shyam Behari Prasad.
Sanjay Jaiswal’s bodyguard had to open fire to ward off the attack by the miscreants belonging to the Muslim community, allegedly having links with the RJD, held him hostage.
The area is part of Narkatia (Chauradano) assembly segment of East Champaran district but falls under West Champaran Lok Sabha constituency.
Jaiswal said while touring the areas under Raxaul assembly segment, he got a call at about 2pm that over 200 voters from Beenwalia village had been chased away and prevented from exercising their franchise at Shekhauna’s booth numbers 162-163.
“Seven persons were severely beaten, a woman among them fractured her leg in the assault,” Jaiswal alleged.
Confirming the incident the state chief electoral officer H R Srinivas told newspersons that the mob tried to attack Sanjay Jaiswal when he reached at polling booth number 162 and 163 at Shekhauna village under Narkatia block area of Sikrahana subdivision in East Champaran district.
He said that the MP’s bodyguard opened fire in the air and escorted him to a room safely.
“Polling continued at the polling booth even after the stipulated time frame to compensate time loss due to the disturbance,” he added.
The additional director general of police (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan said that Jaiswal had reached the polling booth when he was informed that his supporters were not being allowed to cast their votes. He said MP escaped unhurt in the incident .
Speaking to the media, Jaiswal alleged that many “Hindu voters” were assaulted and prevented from voting at booth numbers 162-63 at Shekhauna village. “I have video clips and stills to substantiate,” he added.
The MP threatened to lodge complaint against Motihari DM and SP as he alleged that the two district officials went incommunicado after complaints were lodged over phone regarding the alleged assault and attempts to prevent some voters from voting.
“The mob which vandalized my vehicles even damaged the local SDPO’s vehicle and in the evening the SP delayed accepting my FIR till he had ensured that a fabricated FIR had been registered against me first,” he alleged.
“The East Champaran officials were part of the conspiracy to kill me,” he alleged, saying central forces were purposely not deployed…even after the attack.
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