Two Congress leaders in Uttar Pradesh have been booked on charges including attempt to murder following a protest outside the parental residence of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Agra, with police also arresting the two leaders named as the main accused.
Congress state general secretary (organisation) Anil Yadav and Mathura district Congress president Mukesh Dhangar are among eight people named in an FIR registered at the Hari Parvat police station on Monday. The case also names 15-20 unidentified people who allegedly took part in the protest in Vijay Nagar.
The FIR, lodged by Ring Road police outpost in-charge Gaurav Kumar Gupta, invokes Section 109(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for attempt to murder, along with provisions relating to causing hurt to a public servant, wrongful restraint, assault on a public servant, rioting, house trespass, criminal intimidation and intentional insult. Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932, has also been invoked.
Police subsequently arrested Yadav and Dhangar. According to reports, the two were apprehended while allegedly attempting to leave Agra for Delhi. Police are using CCTV footage and other evidence to identify additional protesters involved in the incident.
Homeguard allegedly assaulted during protest
According to the FIR, police received information on Monday that a crowd had gathered outside Kumar’s parental home in Vijay Nagar Colony and was attempting to enter the premises. The protesters allegedly painted the walls and gate black while raising slogans.
When police reached the spot, they found around 15-20 people at the residence. The FIR alleges that homeguard Dinesh Kumar, described as an elderly man with a heart condition, tried to prevent the protesters from entering through the main gate. The crowd allegedly surrounded him and hit him on the head with a solid object, leaving him unconscious.
Sub-inspector Gupta, who filed the complaint, is also alleged to have been obstructed when he attempted to bring the situation under control. The FIR further alleges that protesters used provocative language against Kumar, police personnel and the district administration and that the incident created a stampede-like situation and disrupted law and order in the locality.
As police reinforcements arrived, the protesters allegedly dispersed in vehicles. The injured homeguard was taken to a nearby health centre for treatment.
The FIR said police identified some of the protesters after examining information posted on social media. Those named include Rajesh, identified by one name, Mukesh Gaur, Karan Singh Nishad, Vikram Valmiki, Umesh Sharma and Raja Gautam, besides Yadav and Dhangar.
Protest linked to Congress campaign against SIR
The Agra demonstration was part of Congress protests in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere against the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party has been demanding action against Kumar over allegations concerning the functioning of the poll panel and changes to electoral rolls. These allegations have been disputed by the Election Commission.
Other reports said protesters spray-painted slogans on the gate and wall of Kumar’s Agra residence and put up stickers and pamphlets. The Indian Youth Congress also shared visuals of the protest on social media.
Police said no permission had been sought for the demonstration. The residence was occupied by a private guard and tenants on the first floor at the time, while Kumar’s parents and other family members were not present, according to a police account reported on Tuesday.
The Agra protest formed part of a wider Congress mobilisation across Uttar Pradesh. Demonstrations were reported in Lucknow, Varanasi, Meerut, Saharanpur, Ayodhya, Sonbhadra, Sitapur, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Mathura and other districts. In Lucknow, protesters marching towards the Election Commission office were stopped by police barricades, leading to a scuffle, while protesters in several places were detained.
The protests have taken place amid an intensifying political dispute over the Election Commission's handling of electoral-roll revision. Congress has alleged irregularities in the SIR exercise and demanded Kumar’s removal, while the Election Commission has rejected allegations of wrongdoing.