Criticism mounts as BJP stands with UP MP accused of misconduct and threats

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party has strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for standing in support of its Uttar Pradesh MP, Subrat Pathak, who stands accused of attacking the Mandi Police Chowki, engaging in misconduct, and making threats to set the outpost on fire.

Samajwadi Party responded to the incident by saying that the state government is functioning "undemocratically" while overlooking the misdeeds of its own party leader.

"This shows the attitude of the government which seems to be working arbitrarily. The BJP has been saving their unruly leaders while carrying out fake encounters of gullible and innocent people," alleged SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary.

Pathak and his associates have been accused of manhandling the cops while trying to free a kidnapping accused who was arrested by the Unnao police last week, in which three sub-inspectors and four constables were injured.

The Uttar Pradesh BJP has decided to support its Kannauj MP and backed up him by stating that his accusations cannot be proven.

UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary said that Pathak's presence at the spot has not been established. "Therefore, the party and the organization stand by his side. He is a prominent leader of the party and has been discharging his duties efficiently," he told reporters.

BJP's Kannauj district president Narendra Rajput said that there was no official information about Pathak's involvement in the incident.

"He is a popular leader. We will always stand by his side," Rajput said.

Sources said that the state leadership has sought a detailed report from the district unit and Pathak could not be contacted for comments.

BJP sources said that the party was treading cautiously as Pathak is learnt to have the strong backing of the RSS, as well as, Pathak has been an active member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS.

His father, Om Prakash Pathak, a prominent perfume trader in Kannauj, was also associated with the RSS.

Pathak's mother, Saroj Pathak, won the Kannauj Nagar Palika Parishad chairman elections in 2012 as a BJP candidate.

Subrat Pathak has also been in the good books of the BJP central leadership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had campaigned for him in Kannauj during the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

IANS input