Ghosi bypoll: SP's Shivpal Yadav accuses UP police of threatening voters, demands action
Azamgarh (UP) (PTI): Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Monday accused Uttar Pradesh police officials of threatening voters of the Ghosi assembly constituency ahead of the bypoll and demanded action against them.
The national general secretary of the Samajwadi party along with 10 legislators met Inspector General of Police Akhilesh Kumar and demanded action against the officials of the force who were "threatening" voters.
Yadav also alleged that the deployment of 40 ministers for the Ghosi bypoll was also affecting the election. He handed over a memorandum to the IGP seeking his intervention in ensuring free and fair polls.
The bypoll is slated on September 5 and counting of votes will be held on September 8.
The Samajwadi Party leader alleged that Ghosi and Kopaganj's SHO and circle officer are harassing people and threatening voters.
"In hotels from Azamgarh to Mau, ministers are staying and affecting polls. Money is also being distributed. Muslims are being threatened to prevent them from voting," Yadav said and alleged that the BJP was adopting dishonest means to win the bypoll.
On Sunday, the ruling BJP and the opposition Samajwadi Party submitted memorandums to the state election commissioner, accusing each other of "trying to influence" the Ghosi Assembly bypoll.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak accused the son of the Samajwadi Party candidate for the Ghosi assembly bypoll of threatening a police constable and that his outpost in-charge, a Dalit, would be "beaten up with shoes".
The bypoll in Ghosi was necessitated following the resignation of Samajwadi Party MLA and OBC leader Dara Singh Chauhan, who joined the BJP and is seeking re-election.
The Congress and Left parties have extended their support to Samajwadi Party candidate Sudhakar Singh. The BSP has not fielded any candidate for the bypoll.
Campaigning for the bypoll came to an end on Sunday evening.
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MP boat tragedy: Death toll climbs to 12; search on for one missing person
Jabalpur (PTI): The body of a 5-year-old boy was recovered from the Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district on Sunday morning, taking the death toll in the cruise boat tragedy to 12, while search continued for one missing person, police said.
The boat, around 20 years old and operated by the state tourism department, capsized during a storm on Thursday evening.
The body of Mayuram (5) has been fished out of the dam. Search is underway for Kamraj (aged around 50), an employee of the Ordnance Factory in Khamaria, Bargi police station house officer (SHO) Neelesh Dohare told PTI.
More than 200 rescuers, including around 20 Army divers airlifted from Agra, National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and local divers, were searching for the man 40-50 feet deep in the water in a radius of 5 km, according to police.
Of the 41 identified passengers on board the ill-fated vessel, 28 were rescued after the incident, police earlier said.
The CCTV footage near the boarding point showed 43 people heading towards the boat, while the identities of 41 passengers have been confirmed so far, they said.
The state government on Friday ordered a probe into the tragedy and dismissed three crew members. It also banned the operation of similar vessels in the state.
