FIR against BJP star campaigner Adityanath for defying poll meeting ban

Lucknow: Hours after controversial BJP leader Yogi Adityanath defied a ban on his election meeting in Lucknow, police lodged an FIR against the MP and other party leaders who participated in the rally.

SSP Praveen Kumar said Thursday morning that cases were lodged late in the night against Adityanath and others who had participated in the meeting a day earlier.

Defying the ban, Adityanath, the BJP's lead campaigner in UP, had addressed an election meeting in which he accused the Samajwadi Party government of following a communal agenda.

A district administration official said that "an FIR has been lodged against BJP candidate from Lucknow (east) seat Ashutosh Tandon Gopalji and others under various sections of the IPC at Ghazipur Police Station".

He said the entire meeting was videographed by the administration.

"Others (whose names are lodged in the FIR) include all those who are visible in the video," he said.

Other than Adityanath, BJP MPs Jagdambika Pal, Lallu Singh and former MP and father of Gopalji Lalji Tandon were present during the meeting.

The official said that a CD of the meeting would be sent to the Election Commission.

"A CD is being sent to the EC by a special messenger," he said.

Claiming that he was not allowed to hold meetings in Thakurdwara, Mainpuri and Nighasan where Assembly by-elections are being held, Adityanath had addressed one of them using his mobile phone.

Later in the state capital, he defied police which had withdrawn permission to him to address an election meeting at Indira Nagar locality by appearing on the stage.