13 arrested for attack on ex-Uttar Pradesh MP at family function in Bahraich

Bahraich (UP): Police have arrested 13 men and booked around 25 - 30 unidentified people for allegedly attacking former BJP MP Akshaibarlal Gond at a family function in a village here, police said Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday in Sunday in Matehi Kala village under Motipur police station limits where Gond, father of sitting BJP MP Anand Gond, had gone to attend a family function at a party worker, Ram Saroj Pathak's residence, police said.

Speaking to PTI, Lal alleged that the attack was a "pre-planned conspiracy" by members of the Muslim community following the ongoing demolition drive targeting illegal madrasas, mosques and other encroachments near the Indo-Nepal border.

"Government agencies, police, and the SSB are currently conducting a demolition drive against illegal constructions, including madrasas and mosques on government land, many of which were built on poor farmers' land through encroachment," he said.

"In this village alone, 134 people have received notices. Some smugglers and history-sheaters from the area incited locals and sent people near me under the pretext of talking. These individuals soon turned aggressive and attacked me," Lal added.

During the attack, he hid inside a room and saved himself, Lal said.

Based on his complaint a case was registered under sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said.

A police official said that in the FIR filed by Pathak, he alleged that "around 38 men and women, armed with sticks and sharp weapons, stormed the house with the intention of attacking the former MP. They hurled caste-based abuses and tried to forcefully enter the house. When my family and I tried to stop them, they beat us and broke in. Villagers and the MP's security staff managed to shield him in another room. The attackers attempted to break the door, but by then, other villagers gathered and drove them away."

The complaint added that the assailants issued death threats before fleeing.