Samajwadi Party MLA thrashes toll employees in Allahabad

A ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator and his goons thrashed the staff at a toll plaza at Allahabad, about 200 kilometres from here, for stopping their cavalcade and asking to pay the toll.

SP legislator Prashant Singh and his goons brutally assaulted the toll plaza employees with rifle buts and sticks despite pleas from the terrified workers to stop the attack saying that the toll gates had been opened for them. The incident occurred late on Thursday night at the toll plaza on the newly constructed bridge over Yamuna river.

The toll gate was closed when the cavalcade of the MLA arrived there. The toll plaza worker Pradeep Rai asked the driver of the MLA's vehicle to pay the charges which irked the legislator.

Singh, who was inside one of the vehicles, came out and began to thrash Rai for daring to ask him to pay the toll. The MLA was joined by his goons who were in the other vehicles. While Rai suffered serious injuries, the toll plaza supervisor and other staff were also assaulted when they tried to intervene.

The toll employees complained that despite several calls the police did not arrive at the scene. A case was later registered against the MLA and his goons in this regard.
This was not the first time the action of a party legislator caused embarrassment to the state government.

SP legislator from Ambedkar Nagar district Azeemul Haq alias ‘Pehlwan’ had raided the house of a policeman inside Kotwali police station and terrorised him after the cop refused to release atruck against the wishes of the legislator.

A few days ago, SP MLA Preetam Ram allegedly got a family evicted from land in a posh locality in Pilibhit town. The family members were allegedly assaulted when they resisted.

In another incident, senior SP leader and former party MLA Veena Bhardwaj allegedly terrorised a family and threatened them with dire consequences when they tried to take possession of their land in Rampur town.

A few months ago, Minister for Secondary Education Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh had kidnapped a senior medical officer in Gonda district when he refused to issue appointment letters to candidates recommended by him for the post of doctors under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Repeated warnings by party boss Mulayam Singh Yadav have fallen in deaf ears, as SP MLAs repeatedly breach rules and harassed those who question them.