Samajwadi Party to protest irregularities in UP panchayat polls on July 15

The Samajwadi Party will hold demonstrations at all tehsil headquarters across the the state on July 15 to protest alleged irregularities in the elections to the posts of district and block panchayat chiefs.

On the directives of Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, partymen will protest against the “murder of democracy” by the BJP government, a release issued here said.

The party will also submit a memorandum to Governor Anandiben Patel over issues of inflation, law and order, unemployment, agricultural laws and health services, it said.

Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of damaging democracy in the state.

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“First to win the elections of the zila panchayat chairpersons and now the block chief posts, the BJP has displayed open hooliganism in the entire state. The district administration and police acted like BJP workers,” he said, warning that a list of officers involved in it is being prepared and action will be taken against them if his party came to power in the Assembly polls next year.

“The Samajwadi Party will not forget this atrocity,” Yadav told party workers, alleging that the State Election Commission failed to do its duty.

The former chief minister said the BJP claims to be a disciplined party but has come down to such a low that it did not desist from misbehaving with women.

“They have committed the sin of tarnishing the honour of women,” he said. He alleged that in Lakhimpur Kheri, BJP workers misbehaved with party candidate Ritu Singh and her proposer Anita Yadav, pulling their “sarees”.

He also alleged that a similar incident took place in Siddharthnagar district while a woman candidate was thrashed in Kannauj’s Haseran block.