Nagina Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Azad was detained by police in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district on Sunday while attempting to visit the family of Vinod Kumar Sahani, a local trader who was recently killed. The detention sparked protests from his supporters.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Mr. Azad, who also presides over the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), was traveling with his supporters from Lucknow towards Gonda. His convoy was intercepted by police at the Shahpur toll plaza. Officials stated that he was taken into custody and subsequently escorted to a circuit house in Ramnagar.
The detention of the Nagina MP led to unrest among his supporters, with reports of some individuals breaking the toll barrier at Shahpur, resulting in a temporary disruption. Authorities deployed a significant police presence to manage the situation and restore order.
The supporters of Mr. Azad voiced allegations that the local administration was actively preventing political leaders and representatives from reaching out to the bereaved family of Vinod Kumar Sahani. This action comes in the wake of heightened political sensitivity surrounding the death of the 45-year-old utensil trader.
Vinod Kumar Sahani, a resident of Shahpur Dhanowa in Gonda’s Paraspur area, was reportedly attacked by a group of individuals following an alleged dispute stemming from social media posts. He succumbed to his injuries during treatment at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow. As of Sunday, police have apprehended four individuals in connection with the incident. Authorities are still searching for one absconding accused and several unidentified persons. In a separate development related to the case, three police personnel, including the Station House Officer (SHO) of Paraspur, have been suspended for alleged negligence in their handling of the matter.
The killing of Vinod Kumar Sahani has become a focal point for political engagement, particularly in anticipation of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Various political parties are making concerted efforts to connect with the Nishad community, to which the deceased trader belonged, and to demonstrate solidarity with his family.
This incident follows similar detentions of other political figures. On Saturday, Ajay Rai, the state president of the Congress, along with other Congress workers, was stopped by police at the Shahpur toll plaza while en route to meet Sahani’s family. Earlier, on Friday, Rajpal Kashyap, the state president of the Samajwadi Party’s Backward Classes Cell, was intercepted at Ramnagar crossing, causing a traffic disruption on the Barabanki-Bahraich highway.
Political leaders, including Minister Sanjay Nishad, Vikassheel Insaan Party founder Mukesh Sahani, and Rajpal Kashyap, had previously staged a protest outside KGMU in Lucknow to express their concerns and solidarity following the trader’s death.
The Chenab Times News Desk