Prayagraj (UP), Oct 28 (PTI) Police on Monday booked Mujtaba Siddiqui, the Samajwadi Party candidate from Phulpur Assembly constituency, for allegedly using casteist slurs against the Dalits.
DCP (Ganganagar) Kuldeep Singh Gunawat said Siddiqui made the comment while talking to reporters during a programme a couple of days ago.
Siddiqui was booked at Sarai Inayat Police Station on the complaint of rival BSP candidate Rajkumar Gautam under section 174 (punishment for undue influence or personation at an election) of the BNS and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
When he heard about the complaint Siddiqui said his words were “twisted” out of context, but nonetheless, offered his apology.
“I have never used any abusive words against the Dalit community. The media has twisted my words. How can I say anything against the Dalit community on whose strength I have been an MLA three times?” Siddiqui said.
The bypoll in the constituency was scheduled after BJP’s Praveen Patel resigned from the seat following his election to Lok Sabha from Phulpur Lok Sabha seat.
The Election Commission has announced a by-election on nine seats, barring Milkipur (Ayodhya), due to a court case.
Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad) are up for a bypoll.
Eight of these seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha polls, while a bypoll was held on the Sisamau seat due to the disqualification of SP MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case. PTI RAJ/NAV VN VN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.