LUCKNOW: A police case was registered against Samajwadi Party MP Ajendra Singh Lodhi in Mahoba district of Bundelkhand region in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday following his alleged derogatory remarks and use of abusive language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The case was lodged at City Kotwali police station following a complaint by BJP district media in-charge Satyendra Pratap Gupta.
Police said the FIR named the MP along with several unidentified supporters under serious sections linked to provocative and objectionable public statements.
Ajendra Singh Lodhi is a first-time MP from Mahoba and the son of former MLA Chandranarayan Singh Lodhi alias Bade Lallu, who represented the same constituency twice in 1969 and 1974.
Lodhi courted the controversy a day after reaching the Collectorate with party workers to submit a memorandum of 11 demands, including opposition to smart electricity meters and rising inflation.
SP district president Shobha Lal Yadav was also present during the protest. After handing over the memorandum to the DM, Lodhi, in an interaction with the media persons, launched a sharp attack on the Prime Minister over his recent appeal for austerity measures to be adopted by the countrymen in the wake of the West Asia crisis.
While launching a tirade on the PM, Lodhi used indecent language on camera, the video of which is going viral on social media drawing wide spread condemnation and criticism from the users.
In the video, the SP MP is seen accusing the Centre of creating an “atmosphere of fear.” He questioned PM Modi’s foreign visits and remarks.
Ajendra Singh Lodhi is seen calling the PM ‘anti-national’ saying that he had never seen such a PM ever before.
He also targeted the BJP government over alleged voter deletions and EVM manipulation in Bengal elections while demanding future elections be held through ballot papers.
During the interaction, the MP also claimed that “PDA Backward, Dalit and Minority communities, would teach the BJP a lesson in 2027” and asserted that the Samajwadi Party would return to power with full majority support.
It may be noted the next assembly elections are due in Uttar Pradesh early next year.
Meanwhile, the incendiary comments of the SP MP against the PM triggered immediate political backlash in Mahoba and across the state.
While angry BJP workers staged protests outside the Kotwali police station, raising slogans and burning an effigy of the SP MP, UP CM Yogi Adityanath termed the comments as an insult to the democratic values.
Taking to microblogging site X, CM Yogi posted: “the unparliamentary remarks made by an SP MP against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only objectionable and unforgivable but also a serious blow to the democratic decorum.”
He added that Lodhi’s conduct was a reflection of bad political culture, ideological bankruptcy and disrespect towards the dignity of public life.
The UP CM added that the SP MP’s remarks insulted the mandate and trust of 145 crore Indians and the democratic dignity of the country.
Party leaders termed the comments “insulting” while demanding strict legal action.
Union Minister and UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhury condemned the language used by the SP MP and demanded strict action against him.
“This kind of filthy language used by Ajendra Singh Lodhi against PM Modi is highly condemnable and proves that the Samajwadi Party is an organisation of goons and of those using abusive language,” said Chaudhury.
The UP BJP chief also urged the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to expel Lodhi from the party saying that the silence of the SP leadership would be seen as the tacit approval to Lodhi’s remarks.
Other senior BJP leaders and party’s national spokespersons including Shehzad Poonawallah, BJP’s Deria MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi and others shared Lodhi’s video accusing SP of encouraging abusive language.
