UP bypolls: Row over his remark on CJI, SP’s Ram Gopal says video ‘doctored’

Ram Gopal, along with other family members including SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, were in Mainpuri on Monday, where SP candidate and Akhilesh Yadav’s nephew Tej Pratap Yadav filed his nomination papers from the Karhal Assembly seat. The seat fell vacant after Akhilesh, the sitting MLA from the seat, was elected as Member of Parliament from Kannauj in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

In the video that surfaced on social media, Ram Gopal was purportedly asked a question about a recent remark by the CJI on the verdict of Ram Janmabhoomi and Babri Masjid title suit.

In his response, Ram Gopal is purportedly heard using an “objectionable” term in an apparent reference to CJI Chandrachud.

Later, Ram Gopal denied making any such reference and sought to clarify the matter further. He claimed that the video had been “tampered with”. He also demanded an investigation by the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Mainpuri into this “fraud”.

“Today (Monday) was the nomination filing of SP candidate Tej Pratap Sigh for the by-election to be held for Karhal Vidhan Sabha. I was also in Mainpuri. There was a large number of people from the electronic media. Most of them were asking questions about Karhal, Milkipur and Bahraich,” said Ram Gopal.

He added, “Some mischievous people have tampered with the video… They put a question on my answer regarding certain irrelevant remarks made by some about the Bahraich issue and included the name of the CJI in this. No question related to the CJI and the judiciary was asked. Neither have I said anything in this regard.”