Uttar Pradesh Governor seeks footage of BSP's protest against Dayashankar Singh

Lucknow: UP Governor Ram Naik on Sunday sought footage of the BSP protest against Dayashankar Singh’s remarks questioning the character of Mayawati, a day after a BJP delegation met him and demanded arrest of a top BSP leader for using “abusive” language at the demonstration. [caption id=“attachment_2912418” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Dayashankar SIngh. PTI[/caption] The governor also took into cognisance media reports on the alleged use of abuse language by BSP leaders including Naseemuddin Siddiqui at Thursday’s protest near Hazratbal here. “I have asked the administration and police to provide audio and video footage, besides other documents of the protest to get further information. I have even asked the BJP delegation which met me yesterday to provide any information available with them,” Naik told PTI. He said that no time has been fixed for providing the information. “It is just to get detailed information about the incident. Generally, we seek information in such incidents,” he said. Police had already said that it has got the entire protest videographed and would take action after examining the footage. “We have got the entire incident videographed and will take further action after examining the footage,” a senior officer had said. After Singh had sparked an outrage by his derogatory comments questioning the character of the BSP supremo, the party had on Thursday held a huge protest in Hazratbal and raised slogans against the expelled leader’s family. The BJP also held demonstrations across Uttar Pradesh on Friday demanding arrest of Siddiqui, who led the protest. “A delegation of BJP office-bearers, led by state president, yesterday met the Governor and demanded immediate arrest of BSP general secretary and Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Naseemuddin Siddiqui,” BJP state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak had said. BJP stated in the memorandum that derogatory language was allegedly used against women members of Singh’s family, especially against his daughter, during protest by BSP workers on Thursday. An FIR was filed against Mayawati along with general secretary Siddiqui and others on Friday on a complaint of Dayashankar Singh’s mother Tetra Devi. She had alleged that Mayawati used “abusive language” against the women members of the family and BSP leaders raised “derogatory” slogans at the protest in Lucknow on Thursday during which Singh’s 12-year-old daughter was also dragged into the row. BJP state chief KP Maurya said women wing of the party would stage a big demonstration in Lucknow on 28 July on the issue. Dayashankar’s wife Swati, who has been provided security after the BSP protest, is likely to meet the Governor this afternoon.