Uttar Pradesh is known for high-voltage political drama. Another one reportedly unfolded in Jaunpur when things went south for a certain Mahendra Rajbhar.

The Suheldev Swabhiman Party leader was slapped multiple times after being garlanded by a party worker during a public event.

In a now-viral video, the former leader of OP Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj party was caught by surprise when he was invited on stage, humiliated and assaulted by Brajesh Rajbhar.

“We sent him to the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha but rather than working for the Rajbhar community, he is just working for his family. There are so many leaders who are just defrauding and looting the society”, Brajesh Rajbhar can be heard in a tweet shared by social media users.

Mahendra Rajbhar filed a police complaint against the party worker, alleging that the act was hatched by SBS chief Om Prakash Rajbhar.

Akhilesh reacts

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident, labelling it as evidence of the increasing atrocities on “PDA” under BJP rule. Yadav has used the term in past to refer to backwards communities (Pichhde), Dalits and other minorities (Alpsankhyak).

Yadav sought strict legal action against the perpetrators and alleged BJP’s involvement in the assault.

Who is Mahendra Rajbhar?

Once the national vice-president of SBSP, Mahendra was fielded as a candidate under the BJP-SSBP alliance against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

Mahendra made his exit in 2019 to form the Suheldev Swabhiman Party, citing differences with SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, and accused him of prioritising personal gains over the interests of his community. He won in the 2022 state elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.