‘Sanjay Nishad scared of losing Dalit, minority support’: SP on protests against Vinod Sahani’s murder

Lucknow: A day after Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav launched a veiled attack on Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad, an ally of the ruling BJP-led government, SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma remarked that the latter is “scared of losing the support” of Dalits, backward and minority sections in the state.

A row erupted after a trader from Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, Vinod Sahani, died of injuries sustained during a dispute over social media posts, prompting Nishad to led a demonstration against his own government.

Reacting to the protest, Akhilesh Yadav, without taking any name, said: “Those who believed that staying aligned with power would enhance their respect and stature have now realised that while the BJP may offer a ceremonial position for show, it comes without any honour.”

“BJP’s supremacists will go to any lengths to preserve their dominance—even committing murder or forcing anyone to their knees on the ground,” the SP chief said in a post on X on Friday.

Further, he referred to the BJP’s rule as a “criminal triad of arrogance, pride, and ego.”

Speaking to IANS, Ashutosh Verma echoed a similar view. He said: “We have been saying this that the number of atrocities being committed against the Dalits, backward class and other minorities under Yogi Adityanath’s government, have never been witnessed in any other state. This government is functioning on feudalistic thinking.”

“Sahani was murdered because he had put up a post against the government. The DM and SP of the region are not even taking action against the accused,” he alleged.

Targeting Sanjay Nishad, Verma said: “Even now he is not able to announce his resignation as Cabinet Minister despite only around three months being left for Assembly elections in the state. So, how can a person who is greedy for power, think about the welfare of the society?”

“Even now Sanjay Nishad is unable to understand that the entire state, including Dalits, backward class and other minority sections are standing against the government. Probably due to this fear he is staging protests on the road,” the SP leader said.

IANS