Meerut (Uttar Pradesh)(PTI): An FIR has been registered here against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's personal assistant on a complaint from party member and actor Archana Gautam's father who alleged that his daughter was threatened with death, police said on Wednesday.

On a complaint from Gautam's father, Sandeep Singh has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman), Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan said.

He has also been charged under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the SSP said and added that the case has been registered at the Partapur police station.

In his complaint, Gautam Buddha said Singh had called his daughter to Raipur in Chhattisgarh during the party's plenary session last month saying Priyanka Gandhi wanted to meet her. There he misbehaved with her and also "threatened with death", he said in his complaint.

Gautam Buddha also alleged that Singh made casteist remarks against Archana Gautam, police said and added that he claimed a video of the incident can be obtained from a camera person in Raipur.

Actor-turned-politician and Big Boss-fame Archana Gautam had unsuccessfully contested from the Hastinapur reserved seat in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on a Congress ticket and was considered a Dalit face of the party in the region.

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Ballari: Former minister B Sriramulu and Gangavathi MLA Gali Janardhana Reddy addressed a joint press conference on Friday, a day after a violent clash broke out between rival Reddy groups over the installation of banners ahead of the Valmiki statue unveiling programme in the city.

Speaking to reporters, Sriramulu said the death of Rajasekhar Reddy, who was killed by a gunshot during the clash, was painful. He said he and his party would stand by the victim’s family and extend support to them. Alleging that Ballari MLA Nara Bharath Reddy was responsible for the incident, Sriramulu demanded legal action against him and called for a thorough probe to establish whose bullet caused Rajasekhar Reddy’s death.

Sriramulu further alleged that the clash was premeditated, claiming that a group had come near their residence with petrol-filled beer bottles and stones, allegedly with the intention of attacking them. He also alleged that there was an attempt to assault Janardhana Reddy.

Janardhana Reddy, addressing the media, said the incident had made him fear for his life. He alleged that there was an attempt to kill him and held Bharath Reddy responsible for the violence. Former minister Somasekhar Reddy, BJP Ballari district leaders and party workers were also present at the press meet.

The clash occurred on Thursday night in the Havambhavi area when rival groups confronted each other over putting up banners for the Valmiki statue unveiling scheduled for January 3. During the violence, a Congress worker was shot dead. Police have registered four separate cases in connection with the incident, including one taken up suo motu.

Responding to the allegations, Ballari MLA Bharath Reddy said the party was mourning the loss of its worker, Rajasekhar Reddy, whom he described as a close associate. He accused Janardhana Reddy of trying to divert attention from illegal mining issues and said the death had cast a shadow over the planned celebrations. He announced that the Valmiki statue unveiling programme had been postponed due to the prevailing atmosphere of grief.

Meanwhile, Ballari Rural MLA B Nagendra confirmed that the statue unveiling event had been temporarily deferred following the clash and on the advice of the Chief Minister. He said the programme would be held on a later date under the leadership of the Chief Minister and senior ministers. Nagendra also criticised Janardhana Reddy, saying there was no place for what he described as a “Republic of Ballari” mindset under the present administration, and asserted that the government would not allow any form of intimidation or lawlessness.