BJP workers force inspector to touch leader’s feet, the SP suspends him for doing so 

A BJP leader forced a Police inspector in Aurriya to touch his feet publicly because the cop had shown the audacity to stop the ruling party leader’s car because he was not wearing the seat belt.

The hapless police officer identified as Ram Singh, a Sub-Inspector, first faced public humiliation and later when the video showing the Inspector touching the feet of BJP leader went viral, the Superintendent of Police suspended him for “falling at the feet of the political leader.”

The Sub-Inspector’s only fault was that he was trying to make people follow traffic rule as directed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at Alchalda crossing on Monday. There he stopped the car of local BJP leader Ram Prakash who was not wearing a seat belt.

The Inspector had a heated argument with the BJP leader and when he decided to issue chalan, the BJP leader called party workers to the crossing. They allegedly beat up the Inspector following which he and one of his constables ran away from the site. The BJP workers continued with the ruckus and demanded that the police officer should apologise. Things cooled down only after the police Inspector returned to the crossing, apologised to the BJP worker and touched his feet with a promise that he would never issue a chalan to the ruling party leader in future.

This is not the first instance of BJP leaders taking law into their hands. Last month a BJP leader had a heated argument with woman cop Shreshtha Thakur in Bulandshahar because one of the BJP workers was not wearing a helmet. When BJP workers created a ruckus, she booked five of them and sent them to jail. Later the same officer was transferred to Bahraich after ruling party legislator and some senior leaders complained to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath about this.

The last four months has witnessed policemen and women to be at the receiving end of BJP workers. Be it Saharanpur where the party MP vandalised the SSP’s office or in Lucknow where a BJP legislator slapped a homeguard when he questioned him as to why his car had entered a ‘No Entry’ Zone.

“Such incidents affect the morale of the police officer. First of all, the Inspector should not have touched the feet of the political leader but we do not know what was the situation out there and who asked him to touch the leader’s feet,” Raghav Pant, a retired police officer said.

He said it would be better if the BJP high command issues dos and don’ts for the party leaders. If they failed to tame their cadre, police will stop checking cars carrying BJP flags. This will be even more detrimental for the society, he said.