Watch: Did BJP's Brajesh Pathak force Arvind Rajbhar to bow before BJP leaders in UP?

Lucknow: Amid upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the effects of narrative controls on social media once again came to fore when a video went viral of Arvind Rajbhar, the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), who was a candidate from Ghosi Lok Sabha seat. Rajbhar in the video, that has now been shared by many on 'X' including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, is seen bowing with folded hands before the workers and local leaders of its alliance partner BJP.

Arvind Rajbhar is the son of Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar and SBSP is fighting the election alongside BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

Rajbhar has however come out in the defence of the video saying he was merely seeking blessings of the party workers and the opposition was just creating a furore over nothing. But the Opposition leaders have stuck to their narrative that he was made to seek forgiveness in front of the BJP leaders.

The video showed a meeting of BJP leaders and workers in Mau district of which Ghosi is a part. UP deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who is also seen in the video, is seen asking Rajbhar to bow before the party leaders. As Rajbhar bowed, Pathak was heard telling him to bend more. "Aur jhuko...muh bhi niche jhukao" (bend more...also put down your face), Pathak was heard telling Rajbhar.

As the video went viral on social media, Samajwadi Party (SP) took potshots at Rajbhar saying that he was humiliated before the BJP leaders. Yadav said this proves the arrogance of BJP leaders.

Rajbhar however claimed that he only sought their blessings. ''I will bow a thousand times before them...they are the ones who will work for my victory,'' he said.

Pathak was also heard asking the party workers if everything now was well. The workers responded in the affirmative.

Sources however said that the local BJP leaders were not happy after the seat was given to the SBSP as part of seat sharing deal and many of them threatened not to take part in campaigning.