SP leader blames BSP for firing that killed boy

Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator Nahid Hasan — who was booked for assaulting a TV journalist and deleting footage of firing by SP supporters that killed an eight-year-old boy at Kairana in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh — on Tuesday came out with a bizarre argument.

Hasan said the boy was killed in firing by BSP workers and not SP supporters. At a panchayat convened in Shamli on Tuesday, the SP MLA blamed BSP workers for the “celebratory firing”. “Those who fired in the air were BSP workers and not SP supporters,” Hasan said, bothering little for the fact that Nafisa — whose victory at the Block Pramukh (chairman) poll had brought SP supporters on the street to celebrate — was an SP nominee.

Hasan also chose to ignore that Nafisa was expelled from SP after the incident that triggered a massive outrage in the state. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had also come under attack from the Opposition in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Akhilesh declared an ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the victim besides ordering suspension of the in-charge of the local police station and removal of the circle officer and sub-divisional magistrate of the area. A case was lodged against Hasan and two dozen unidentified people in connection with the assault on journalist at Kairana. The incident occurred on Sunday evening when some SP workers indulged in celebratory firing after the result of the polls at Kairana block in the district was declared.