Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh): Three persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly cutting a clay cake to celebrate Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati's birthday in 2015, police said.
According to an official attached to the Sadar Kotwali police station, a local court had issued an arrest warrant against the trio on Saturday, following which the cops apprehended them on Sunday. The trio also allegedly distributed 'ladoos' (a type of sweet) made out of clay to mark the BSP chief's birthday. He said that the members, belonging to the Sangharsh Samiti had protested against Mayawati over the non-construction of the district headquarters in Sambhal.
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The main accused in this case has alleged a Samajwadi Party Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Assembly of framing him. The main accused also claimed that he was a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
On September 28, 2011, the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, declared Sambhal, which was a part of Moradabad, as a district. The new district was named Bhimnagar. There were talks on making the district headquarters at a central place for which the Sangharsh Samiti held a long agitation. They had demanded that the district headquarters should come up in the Sambhal tehsil. However, in 2012 the Samajwadi Party government came to power in Uttar Pradesh.
After coming to power, the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and current Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav renamed Bheem Nagar district to Sambhal. He also made the temporary headquarters of the district at Bahjoi. However, the Sangharsh Samiti repeatedly demanded that the district headquarters should come up only in Sambhal tehsil. In 2015, the workers of the Sangharsh Samiti cut clay cakes and distributed clay laddoos on Mayawati's birthday at Shankar College Square here. They also allegedly burnt Mayawati's effigy.
A complaint was filed against eight persons by local BSP leader Amar Singh, following which a case was registered. The members did not appear in a local court despite a summons being issued against them. The court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant following which the police arrested three persons - Shakeel ur Rehman Malik, Noor Khan and Zulfiqar. The accused will be produced in court on Monday.
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