Allahabad: A case was registered against former Manjhanpur MLA Indrajeet Singh Saroj at Sagramgarh police station in Pratapgarh on Friday for reportedly violating the model code of conduct while addressing supporters during a public meeting. Saroj was earlier with BSP but is presently the general secretary of Samajwadi Party. He a contender for SP ticket from Kaushambi Lok Sabha seat.The case was lodged by the static magistrate, a block education officer (BEO) of Pratapgrah, Ashish Pandey. In the complaint, Saroj has been booked as a political campaigner for Samajwadi Party (SP).As per reports, on Wednesday night Saroj was addressing supporters during a public meeting convened to muster support for the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party alliance in Babaganj and Kunda areas of the Kaushambi parliamentary constituency.Officials said that Saroj instigated supporters and told them to face political rivals (referring to Independent MLA from Kunda and Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik) chief Raja Bhaiya) and answer them in their own language.In an audio recording of the speech, of which TOI has a copy, Saroj, said, “Iss baar charwahe-charwahe kaa pala pada hai, naa to yeh goli chalane mai piche rahte hain naa hum, (This time it’s a contest between shepherds. Neither of us hesitates in using bullets.)’The audio recording has gone viral.He also said, “If anything happens to my supporters in Babaganj or Kunda, we would cross Ganga ‘dry’ but would return ‘wet’.”“The statements made by Saroj as SP’s campaigner are in violation of sections 504, 506, 171, 188 and 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and a case has been lodged against him,” said BEO Ashish Pandey.Talking to TOI, the former MLA said he was just trying to boost the morale of his supporters. “My supporters have always been threatened and subjected to violence by a certain political figure. I was not instigating anyone,” he said.“Hum kissi ko ched nahi rahe the, magar hume koi chedga to hum uski aarti to nahi utarenge (We don’t want to antagonise anyone, but if someone instigates us, we will not sit quietly). The authorities did not listen to the whole audio and focussed on a certain portion and acted. This is a conspiracy against me,” he added.

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