UP: BJP worker arrested for thrashing Dalit engineer with shoe in Ballia
Ballia (Uttar Pradesh): A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a Dalit engineer inside his office in Ballia district, an incident that was caught on video and widely circulated on social media.
The footage shows Lal Singh, a superintending engineer in the electricity department, engaged in a heated exchange with a group of men before being struck with a shoe.
According to Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh, the victim alleged in his complaint that BJP worker and former office-bearer Munna Bahadur, along with unidentified associates, forcibly entered his office, hurled casteist slurs, and attacked him with kicks, punches, and a shoe. The attackers also vandalised documents and allegedly threatened to kill Singh and his family if he pursued legal action.
Bahadur has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Police confirmed his arrest, while investigations into the role of others are ongoing.
Prior to his arrest, Bahadur told reporters he had gone to submit a memorandum over power-related grievances, accusing the engineer of abusing him first. He also claimed that he sustained injuries in the scuffle.
The incident has sparked political backlash. The Congress accused the BJP of turning the law into a “farce” in Uttar Pradesh, alleging that Chief Minister Adityanath’s administration had surrendered before party-linked “goons.” The Trinamool Congress also condemned the attack, claiming that BJP leaders were emboldened to “unleash savagery on Dalits in broad daylight” without fear of action.
Both parties alleged that the ruling BJP’s slogans of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” stood in stark contrast to its members’ conduct, warning that unchecked violence threatened democracy and deepened caste oppression.
In UP's Ballia, a BJP leader identified as Munna Bahadur Singh attacked with slipper Lal Singh, a Dalit and power department engineer in his office. pic.twitter.com/3Q5b0nUkir
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Lebanon PM accuses Israel of ‘war crime’ after rescue workers killed in strikes
Beirut: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday accused Israel of committing a “war crime” after five people, including three civil defence personnel, were killed in twin air strikes in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, the strikes targeted a building in the town of Majdal Zoun, where rescue workers had arrived following an initial attack. A second strike hit the same location, killing those involved in relief operations.
Salam said targeting emergency responders carrying out humanitarian duties amounted to a serious violation of international humanitarian law. He added that the government would raise the matter at international forums and seek action to halt such incidents.
A spokesperson for the Lebanese Civil Defence was quoted by AL Jazeera that the rescuers were trapped under debris after the second strike and later confirmed dead.
The Lebanese army said two of its personnel were also injured in the attack, which reportedly struck a military patrol escorting the rescue team along with civilian equipment.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun also condemned the incident, stating that it was part of a pattern of attacks affecting relief workers and civilians.
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, cross-border hostilities have continued, with frequent air strikes reported in southern and eastern parts of the country.
Lebanese authorities said at least eight people were killed in separate incidents on Tuesday, while the overall toll from Israeli strikes since early March has crossed 2,500, with thousands injured.
