5 cops suspended over complaints of stopping voters in western UP

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav posted a video of a police officer pointing a revolver, allegedly at voters in the Meerapur Assembly constituency of Muzaffarnagar. He claimed it was that of the Station House Officer of the Kakrauli police station in Meerapur and demanded the immediate suspension of the officer for “threatening voters”.

Earlier in the day, there was stone pelting in the Meerapur constituency.

UP Chief Election Officer Navdeep Rinwa said, “Five police officials have been suspended – two in Kanpur, two in Muzaffarnagar and one in Moradabad. Instructions have been given that IDs of all voters will be checked, but only by polling officers inside the polling station. Police officials deployed outside the polling station for security and law and order will not check any ID. In case any such incident is found or any complaint comes, then action will be taken against them. The Election Commission has taken these complaints seriously.”

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav said, “The BJP is misusing the administration, fearing its defeat. It is putting pressure on the administration to prevent Samajwadi Party voters from casting their votes.” He told voters that if they are stopped once, they should try a second and third time until they are allowed to vote. He reminded them that police cannot check their IDs.

He also asked his supporters to “collect videos of all such people preventing them from voting. Find out the names and designations of the police and administration people involved in creating obstructions”. He warned that such officials would be taken to court and “they will lose their jobs, PF, pension and respect”.

The BJP wrote to the Election Commission alleging that many “outsiders” living in “madarsas and masjids” were indulging in “fake voting” in Sisamau, Meerapur and Kundarki.

Regarding the seats of Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar and Kundarki in Moradabad, which have a sizeable minority population, the state BJP wrote to the Election Commission saying “polling officers are allowing women in veils to vote without cross-checking their identity because of which many men, disguised in burqa, are indulging in fake voting, which should be stopped”.

Later in the day, state BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary said, “The way in which the election is being influenced by hooligans is before us… wearing burqa… indulging in fake voting. They (SP) are demanding that police should not check them, but it is required for a transparent election. Goondaism, anarchy, fake identity and fake voting have become the trademark of those in red caps (referring to the SP).”

The nine UP seats were bypolls were held are Meerapur in Muzaffarnagar, Kundarki in Moradabad, Ghaziabad, Khair (SC), Karhal in Mainpuri, Sisamau in Kanpur, Phulpur in Prayagraj, Katehari in Ambedkarnagar and Majhawan in Mirzapur district – sitting members of these seats barring Sisamau were elected to the Lok Sabha, so they vacated their Assembly seats.