Lucknow, April 24: A woman teacher on Tuesday tried to set herself on fire in front of the Vidhan Sabha building here, alleging that the Principal of her school had molested her and the police was not entertaining her complaint.

The woman said that she had also gone to the 5, Kalidas Marg residence of the Chief Minister to raise the matter but she was shooed away.

She then tried to immolate herself in front of the state assembly building, which also faces the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state headquarters.

The police present there immediately rushed in and prevented the woman from setting herself afire. She had already doused herself with kerosene and was striking a match stick when the woman police personnel overpowered her.

Rashmi Vishwakarma, said she teaches at Saraswati Shishu Mandir school and her Principal Vinod Awasthi molested her and had been torturing her ever since she told him that she would lodge a complaint with the police and make the matter public. She also accused the local police of not doing anything on her complaint.

On the contrary, she alleged, the Qaiserbagh and Chowk police station officials were pressurising her to compromise and close the matter.

When she tried to torch herself, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Sahi and Social Welfare Minister Ramapati Shastri were present in the BJP office for the "Jan Sunwai" programme, where ministers of the state government listen to the problems of the people and order necessary action.

The incident came as a chilling reminder of a similar incident a few weeks back when a woman accused a BJP legislator of rape and tried to set herself on fire. Later, her father was picked up by the police and beaten to death in custody.

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stirred controversy during a recent visit to Baramati with a remark addressing his voters. Speaking while receiving a memorandum, Pawar stated, “Just because you voted for me, it doesn’t mean you have become my boss or owner. Have you made me a farm labourer now?”

The statement has drawn widespread attention, coinciding with ongoing political discussions surrounding the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). On January 3, the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP dismissed any possibility of reuniting with Sharad Pawar’s group.

The NCP has reiterated its alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and the Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra. Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare confirmed that the party’s July 2023 decision to align with the BJP remains unchanged.

“Our party is firmly allied with the NDA at the Centre and MahaYuti in the state. Under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, the NCP has achieved significant electoral victories. There is no rethinking on this stand,” Tatkare said.

When questioned about the possibility of reuniting with the Sharad Pawar faction, Tatkare dismissed speculation, stating, “There are no ifs and buts in politics.”

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar’s mother, Ashatai Pawar, has expressed her desire for reconciliation within the Pawar family. During a visit to the temple town of Pandharpur, she shared her hopes, saying, “I wish that the differences within the Pawar family end at the earliest. I hope Pandurang answers my prayers.”

Tatkare responded to her emotional appeal by distinguishing personal relationships from political decisions, asserting, “Family and politics are two different things.”