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Journalism of Courage
Senior Samajwadi Party (SP) national general secretary Shivpal Yadav has left the Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh after receiving a notice from the district police in compliance with Election Commission of India guidelines. Shivpal’s son Aditya Yadav is contesting on an SP ticket from Badaun, where polling was underway in the third phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Tuesday.
The police notice cited ECI regulations stipulating that no outsider can remain in a poll-bound district 48 hours before and after the election campaign concludes. The election campaign in Badaun concluded on Sunday, May 5. Incidentally, the Badaun police notice to Shivpal was issued shortly after the local police filed a case against him for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati.
Shivpal, the MLA from Jaswant Nagar in Etawah, is a prominent campaigner in Uttar Pradesh. He stayed at former MP Dharmendra Yadav’s residence in Badaun to campaign for his son, who is contesting for the first time. “Following the notice, Shivpal Yadav has left the district,” stated a press release issued by Badaun police.
Efforts to reach Badaun’s Samajwadi Party district president, Ashish Yadav, for a comment were unsuccessful.
BSP leaders brought attention to the alleged derogatory remarks against Mayawati by Shivpal when a purported video of the incident was circulated on social media and aired on a television channel.
According to police sources, the FIR was filed based on a complaint by BSP Badaun district president Ram Prakash Tyagi at the Civil Lines police station. Yadav was charged under sections 504 (intentional insult) and 505-2 (statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred, or ill will between classes) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Yadav claimed on Sunday that the Badaun police were unfairly targeting and detaining his party workers ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
In 2019, BJP candidate Sanghmitra Maurya won the Badaun seat by 18,454 votes over SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police stated that numerous security measures have been implemented to prevent untoward incidents during the third phase of the elections, covering 10 Lok Sabha seats. Voting was underway at 12,344 polling stations.
