BSP stalls Council over couple ‘parade’

BSP MLAs on Wednesday stalled the proceedings of the Legislative Council leading to its adjournment for three hours over the incident in Etawah where an eloped couple and their relatives who had given shelter to them were humiliated by locals who blackened their faces and paraded them in the village with garlands of shoes on their neck.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Leader of Opposition in the Council, Naseemuddin Siddiqui, alleged that those who attacked Shivkumar, who gave shelter to the couple, were Samajwadi Party workers including party chief Mulayam Singh's relatives. "It is shameful that the incident occurred in CM's home district," Siddiqui added. After which the BSP members trooped into the Well of the House raising slogans and demanding dismissal of the SP government. Chairman of the Legislative Council, Ganesh Shanker Pandey adjourned the house for 15 minutes and later extended it till 3 pm.

In the Assembly too, Leader of the Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya and BJP's Suresh Khanna raised the incident during the Zero Hour. "It reflects the law and order situation across the state as the incident has prompted enmity between two castes in the home district of the Chief Minister. The culprits are being shielded by the government. Government should take serious note of the incident and initiate prompt action against the culprits," Maurya said. BSP's Amar Pal Sharma also raised the issue stating that a particular community has unleashed a reign of terror across the state.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Khan assured the House that strong action will be taken against the accused.

On Tuesday, after people came to know that a couple had taken shelter at the house of Shivkumar, their relative, in Santoshpura village in Civil Lines police station area following elopement, they beat up the family members, including a woman, who had given shelter to the couple. They blackened the faces of the couple and put garlands of shoes around their necks and paraded them in the village. After the incident several people left the village.

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