Samajwadi Party spokesperson gets threat call from man claiming to be linked to Bishnoi gang
Bahraich (UP) (PTI): Samajwadi Party's national spokesperson, Tariq Khan, has allegedly received a threat call from an individual claiming to be associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
The call, made two days ago, has prompted the police to initiate an investigation.
In an audio clip circulating on social media since Saturday evening, Khan, known for his articulate defense of the Samajwadi Party on national television debates, has been subjected to abusive and threatening language.
Talking to PTI, Khan said, "For the past two months, I have been receiving abusive and threatening calls, which I ignored. However, on Friday night, a caller not only hurled abuses but also claimed to be speaking on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Considering the gravity of the threat, I immediately informed Superintendent of Police and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav. Now, the audio of that conversation has surfaced on social media."
Khan added, "I have informed the police that this might be a hoax, but it is essential to identify and apprehend the caller. I have provided the police with recordings of the recent conversation along with previous instances."
The party's national president, Akhilesh Yadav, who has been briefed on the situation, has called Khan to Lucknow on Tuesday. If deemed necessary, Yadav might escalate the matter to the Director General of Police.
In the alleged audio recording, the caller initiates the conversation with an ominous warning: "Be careful or your number will come up next."
The caller repeatedly threatens Khan with statements like, "Speak cautiously," "Your number is coming up" and "We will have to act."
When Khan asks the caller about Lawrence Bishnoi, the latter responds aggressively, "You will find out soon. Wait for two to three days. I will show you."
The call ends abruptly with profanities from the unidentified caller.
When asked, Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Ramanand Prasad told PTI, "Whether the call was genuinely from the Bishnoi gang or a fraudster, is yet to be confirmed. However, we are taking the matter seriously. The caller’s number is under surveillance, and efforts are underway to trace him. An officer at the Deputy Superintendent of Police level has been assigned to investigate it."
The ASP said in October last year, the Mumbai police had linked a village in Bahraich district to the murder of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique.
Seven suspects — Shiva alias Shiv Kumar, Dharmaraj, Anurag Kashyap, Harish, Akhilendra, Akash Srivastava and Gyan Prakash — arrested from various locations, belonged to Gandara village under the Kaiserganj police station limits in Bahraich.
On October 12, during the Dussehra celebrations in Mumbai, shooters allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang shot and killed Baba Siddique.
Tariq Khan, a resident of Mohalla Chhoti Bazar, Badi Hat, Bahraich, is the son of Teje Khan, a senior Samajwadi Party leader. Teje Khan has served twice as the chairman of Bahraich Municipal Board.
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
