Lucknow, May 9: In a shocking development, police in Uttar Pradesh have detained Bhuvanesh Varshneya, a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after a video surfaced in which he allegedly instructed party workers to cause disruptions at polling booths in Muslim-dominated areas. The video, which went viral on social media platforms, shows Varshneya urging party members to create chaos if they observed a significant presence of women voters, particularly from the Muslim community, with the intent of preventing them from casting their votes.
During a meeting in Bahjoi town within the Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency, Varshneya purportedly advised party workers to refrain from physical altercations but instead to disrupt the voting process strategically. He was heard instructing them to offer bribes to law enforcement officials to avoid any repercussions for their actions.
“We have detained Bhuvanesh Varshneya, and the matter is currently under investigation,” stated a senior police official in response to the incident.
Although the exact date of the video remains unclear, authorities confirmed its circulation during the run-up to the Sambhal constituency’s polling day, which occurred on May 7.
The video’s emergence has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. Investigations are ongoing to determine the extent of any unlawful activities associated with Varshneya’s directives and whether similar incidents occurred elsewhere during the elections.
