PRATAPGARH: BJP's Pratapgarh MP Sangam Lal Gupta on Saturday accused former Congress MP Pramod Tiwari of leading a mob of his party workers to beat him up and his party's activist during a social function in Sangipur block of the district.
The issue prompted the police to register a case against 27 persons, including the senior Congress leader and his daughter.
The alleged incident led Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to order the district administration to take strict action in the incident, in which Gupta alleged his 'kurta' was also torn by the assailants.
"Instructions have been issued for speedy and strict action in the incident of attack on BJP MP and national general secretary of BJP's Pichhda Varg Morch Sangam Lal Gupta during the Gareeb Kalyan Mela in Sangipur block in Pratapgarh district," said Maurya in a tweet.
"Not even a single guilty person will be spared," he added.
Acting Superintendent of Police Prakash Dwivedi said that acting on the complaint lodged by the BJP MP, a case has been registered against 27 persons including Pramod Tiwari, his daughter Aradhana Misra and 50 unknown persons under various sections of the IPC and CLA.
Citing the complaint lodged by Gupta, the acting Superintendent of Police said that as the BJP MP reached the venue of the Gareeb Kalyan Mela, Pramod Tiwari, his daughter and Congress MLA Aradhana Misra (who were already present at the venue) along with their supporters started raising slogans against him, and even assumed an attacking posture.
As Sangipur SHO Tushardutt Tyagi rushed to save Gupta, Pramod Tiwari and his workers attacked him, Gupta said, adding that Congress MLA Misra along with her supporters hurled abuses at him, and pounced on him with the intention to kill him.
The BJP MP added that the security personnel somehow managed to bring him out (from the attackers grip), but at the behest of Misra, her supporters started beating him using stones and sticks, due to which he and his supporters got injured.
Around a dozen vehicles have been damaged, he claimed.
Gupta told PTI that the incident happened when he and his party workers reached the ''mela'' venue in Sangipur, where ex-Congress MP Tiwari was sitting on the dais.
"Seeing me at the venue, Tiwari and his supporters first began hooting at me and our workers. Later, they grew violent and attacked us," he said.
"They beat me up too and tore my kurta," he said.
The former Congress MP could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts by PTI.