Brewing discontent in UP: BJP MLAs complain of police inaction over death threats

Discontent is simmering within the BJP, particularly in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's stronghold of Gorakhpur, as two BJP MLAs from this eastern UP district have voiced serious concerns about their safety, casting a shadow over the state's administration and law enforcement, both of which are directly overseen by Adityanath, The Wire reported.

Fateh Bahadur Singh, the MLA from Campierganj, recently alleged that the local police failed to act on a death threat he received. Singh, a seasoned politician with a seven-term legislative career and the son of former UP CM Vir Bahadur Singh claimed that a BJP worker had collected Rs 5 crore to contract a hitman to kill him.

According to Singh, the police’s inaction is due to their collusion with the accused, Rajeev Ranjan Chaudhary, whose mother is a local BJP Zilla panchayat member.

Singh suggested that the threat was linked to his political stature, implying that potential electoral rivals see his demise as their only path to victory. His accusations have set off a public spat with Chaudhary, who countered by alleging that Singh was threatening him with false cases.

Chaudhary asserted that he had a fallout with Singh over his wife's candidature in the urban body polls, against Singh's wishes. He called upon Adityanath for protection, claiming Singh's allegations were fabrications intended to send him to jail unjustly.

As this controversy unfolded, another BJP MLA, Sarvan Kumar Nishad, from Chauri Chaura, publicly declared that his life was also in danger. Nishad, son of the NISHAD Party president and BJP ally Sanjay Nishad, questioned why his security was revoked despite receiving death threats.

He claimed that the administration had arbitrarily removed his security, ignoring the history of targeted violence against Nishad community leaders. Nishad announced plans to meet with Adityanath to address his concerns and demand action against the officials involved.

Nishad also highlighted the alleged harassment of a local BJP leader, Deepak Kumar Jaiswal, by the Chauri Chaura police. Jaiswal, a member of the BJP’s state executive committee of its OBC morcha, accused the police of treating him like a criminal and invading his privacy.

In response to Singh’s allegations, the district administration moved into damage control. The senior superintendent of police (SSP) in Gorakhpur, Gaurav Grover, stated that a special team, including multiple police agencies and the state’s special task force, was investigating Singh’s complaint.

Grover assured that Singh, who has Y-Plus security, was under continuous protection by 11 police personnel. The district magistrate, Krishna Karunesh, emphasized that action would be taken based on the investigation's findings.

Regarding Nishad’s security concerns, the district police clarified that he had been allotted two guards and that his security status was reviewed regularly. The police maintained that appropriate measures were in place to ensure his safety.

These developments come at a challenging time for the BJP, following its poor performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The internal discord and allegations of inadequate protection for its own legislators are likely to exacerbate the party’s difficulties.