Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader assaults blind woman in Church
Jabalpur: Anju Bhargava, vice-president of BJP's Jabalpur city unit, has come under sharp scrutiny, creating the ripples of political controvery in Madhya Pradesh, after a video surfaced online showing her physically assaulting a visually impaired woman inside a church.
The New Indian Express has reported that the said incident reportedly took place on Saturday (20 Dec) at a church in the Hawa Bagh area, which comes under the limits of Gorakhpur police station.
The video footage that has circulated widely on Monday shows Anju Bhargava, assaulting the blind woman in the presence of a police officer. In the video, Bhargava is seen shouting at the woman, twisting her arm and forcibly grabbing her face. The victim can be heard pleading to Bhargava to speak to her rather than resorting to physical violence. Also, we can hear Bhargava screaming, “will be blind in her next birth too”
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According to The Indian Express reports, Bhargava entered the church, with members of several Hindutva affiliated organisations, alleging that the visually impaired children were being forced into religious conversion; But, the students present at the church have flatly denied all the allegations.
An unnamed police officer cited in media reports states that there was no evidence to support claims of forced religious conversion. The incident has since intensified political debate in the state, with opposition parties demanding accountability and action against those involved.
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Court rejects Uttar Pradesh BJP’s bid to drop Akhlaq lynching case, orders day-to-day trial
Lucknow: A court in Surajpur refused the Uttar Pradesh government’s request to withdraw prosecution in the 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq and directed that the case be taken up for expedited trial with daily hearings.
Additional District Judge Saurabh Dwivedi categorised the matter as “most important” and ordered the prosecution to begin recording evidence without delay. To ensure complete protection of all evidence, the court also directed on Tuesday, that letters be sent to the Police Commissioner of Gautam Buddha Nagar and the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Greater Noida. The next hearing has been scheduled for January 6.
Following rumours that he had slaughtered a cow and stored beef at his residence, Mohammad Akhlaq, 50, was lynched by a mob on September 28, 2015, in Bisada village of Dadri in Gautam Buddha Nagar district. Akhlaq and his son Danish were dragged out of their home and assaulted after an announcement was allegedly made from a temple loudspeaker. Akhlaq later died at a hospital in Noida, while Danish survived after sustaining critical head injuries. Akhlaq’s killing had sparked nationwide protests under the banner “Not In My Name."
All 18 accused villagers were released on bail by September 2017, after the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Adityanath assumed office. One of the accused is the son of a local BJP leader. While the accused returned to the village, Akhlaq’s family moved away citing fear and hostility.
The accused were charged under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code regarding murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace, and criminal intimidation.
On October 15, the Uttar Pradesh government moved an application seeking withdrawal of the case. The petition cited alleged inconsistencies in statements by Akhlaq’s family, the absence of recovered firearms or sharp weapons, and the lack of prior enmity between the accused and the victim.
The court’s order comes amid a legal challenge by Akhlaq’s wife before the Allahabad High Court. She has contested the state government’s decision to withdraw the prosecution and the related application filed by the public prosecutor. Her appeal also challenged a series of administrative orders issued between August and September 2025 that resulted in the withdrawal plea, according to Maktoob Media.
The petition argues that under Section 321 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, any withdrawal from prosecution requires the court’s consent and must be assessed independently to ensure it does not result in a miscarriage of justice.
Reacting to the court’s decision, CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said the order reaffirmed the primacy of judicial scrutiny and described it as a significant step towards justice.
