Noida 'slapgate' haunts BJP in UP bypoll as 'Tyagi' community vows to oppose saffron party

Shrikant Tyagi, was arrested in August on charges of abusing and assaulting a woman inside a residential society in Noida

Nurturing dreams to repeat its performance in the forthcoming bypoll in Khatauli assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, where BJP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) were locked in a straight contest, the saffron party was jolted after leaders from the electorally influential 'Tyagi' community declared that they would 'boycott' the party in the bypoll.

At a meeting of the leaders of the community at a village in the constituency, it was decided that the members of the community would not vote for the BJP in the bypoll. ''We will rather press the NOTA button than voting for the BJP nominee,'' said a leader of the community, who was present at the meeting

The community members were angry with the BJP for what they termed 'abandoning' self-proclaimed saffron party leader Shrikant Tyagi, who was arrested in August on charges of abusing and assaulting a woman inside a residential society in Noida. Tyagi was granted bail by the Allahabad high court last month.

''We were humiliated after the Noida incident....Shrikant Tyagi's wife was harassed by the police.....none of the BJP leaders came to our help....we will teach the party a lesson in the Khatauli bypoll,'' the leader added.

The 'Tyagi' community members had earlier held a massive 'mahapanchayat' at the Ramlila ground at Gejha village in Noida where the leaders from the community had targeted BJP Mahesh Sharma, who, they claimed, not only 'abandoned' Shrikant but was also instrumental in ensuring police action against him. Such was the anger in the community that its members had put up banners at the venue of the mahapanchayat starting 'BJP netaon ko pravesh ki anumati nahin hai' (entry of BJP leaders is banned). Shrikant Tyagi had also, at the time of his arrest, threatened to work against the BJP in the next election.

Shrikant, who was filmed abusing and assaulting a woman inside the Grand Ommax Society in Noida, was arrested from Meerut after he went underground following registration of a case against him. Shrikant claimed that he was a member of the BJP. His photographs with several senior BJP leaders also went viral on social media.

The Khatauli bypoll was necessitated after the sitting BJP MLA Vikram Saini was sentenced to two years imprisonment by court in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case resulting in his disqualification fro the assembly. The Samajwadi Party (SP) has lent its support to the RLD in this seat.