Vande Bharat scuffle: BJP MLA says supporters' behaviour 'unfortunate'
Jhansi (UP) (PTI): BJP's Babina MLA Rajeev Singh on Thursday clarified his stand on the May 19 incident aboard the Vande Bharat Express, stating that a "misunderstanding" with fellow passengers escalated unnecessarily and that the altercation by his supporters in Jhansi was "unfortunate and unintended".
Addressing a press conference, the MLA said he was travelling with his wife and children from Delhi to Jhansi when he "politely requested" a passenger to swap seats so the family could sit together.
According to the MLA, the passenger and his companion responded rudely and threatened him. He claimed video evidence now supports his version of events.
The Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP, on June 22, issued a show-cause notice to the party MLA in connection with the episode. The BJP had sought a reply from the legislator within seven days.
According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the altercation occurred on June 19 on the Delhi-Bhopal Vande Bharat Express, allegedly over changing seats and objectionable sitting posture inside the train.
The situation escalated at Jhansi station, where a passenger was allegedly assaulted by some individuals linked to the ruling party MLA.
On Thursday, Singh reiterated that he had filed a non-cognisable report (NCR) with the GRP that same evening after the encounter.
He added that during the train journey, he had also sought assistance via the Rail Madad helpline, citing safety concerns.
Later, when the train reached Jhansi, some of his local supporters, informed by his security personnel, allegedly assaulted one of the passengers. The MLA said this was done "in over-enthusiasm" and without his approval.
He stated that he later apologised to the passengers, who accepted his regret and acknowledged the misunderstanding.
The incident has drawn political reactions, with some opposition leaders and a former IPS officer demanding action. However, the passenger involved has not filed a formal complaint, and the matter is currently under police investigation.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Congress promotes ‘vote chori’ campaign through Instagram video featuring Kay Kay Menon
_vb_39.jpeg)
New Delhi: The Congress party, which recently launched its “Vote Chori” (vote theft) campaign demanding transparency in voter rolls, has released a promotional video on Instagram featuring actor Kay Kay Menon.
The video was shared with the caption: “Himmat Singh kuch keh rahe hain, jaldi se kar aao! Band karo”, translated as “Himmat Singh is saying something, go and do it quickly! Stop it.” It was followed by instructions to join the campaign: “To join the campaign — click the link in the bio or give a missed call to 9650003420.”
Himmat Singh is the name of the intelligence officer character portrayed by Kay Kay Menon in the Hotstar Specials series Special Ops.
The “Vote Chori” campaign, led by Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, alleges large-scale manipulation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, particularly in Karnataka’s Bangalore Central constituency, through fake voter entries, duplicate names, and invalid addresses. The campaign portal, votechori.in, enables citizens to access alleged evidence, report voter list discrepancies, and receive a digital certificate supporting the demand for machine-readable digital voter rolls.
The Election Commission has rejected the allegations as “false and misleading” and has asked Gandhi to either provide a signed declaration with supporting evidence under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, or issue a public apology. The BJP has described the campaign as a political stunt.
View this post on Instagram
_vb_74.jpeg)
