Uttar Pradesh Elections 2017: BJP MLA Sangeet Som in Trouble for Using 'Riots Video' during Campaign

New Delhi: Sangeet Som, BJP’s firebrand MLA and an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots case, has stirred fresh trouble in communally sensitive western Uttar Pradesh after a vehicle allegedly broadcasting video clips from the 2013 riots was seized by police.

According to Meerut district magistrate B Chandrakala, the administration received a complaint that a Sangeet Som campaign van was doing the rounds in villages in Sardhana, his assembly constituency, and was showing “objectionable" videos of violence during the Muzaffarnagar riots. On Tuesday evening, the district magistrate called the sub-divisional magistrate of Sardhana, who then directed police to seize the vehicle and the pen drive. Police sources told News18.com that the video shows incidents of violence from Kawal village in Muzaffarnagar, which was where the 2013 riots started. Two of Som’s associates have been booked in the case and later in the day, an FIR was registered against Som under the People’s Representation Act at Sardhana Police Station.

Chandra Pal Singh, circle officer (Sardhana), said, “We have seized both the vehicle and the pen drive and the videos will be screened to see if any objectionable content was being shown to voters. Birendra Singh, the driver of the vehicle, and Chandrashekar Singh, who is the MLA’s personal assistant, have been booked under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code. We are trying to ascertain whether this was sanctioned by the concerned MLA himself and what the nature of his involvement was. Till then, we cannot book him."

Som, in his defence, said he had not violated any laws. “I have made my stand on this issue very clear. We had taken all necessary permissions."

The police, however, disagree. The circle officer added, “Whenever any content has to be broadcast to the voters during elections, it has to be cleared by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC). As far as we are aware, that particular permission was not sought. A copy of the video will also be sent to the MCMC and then further action will be taken."

The BJP appeared to distance itself from the incident. Suresh Rana, UP BJP vice-president and himself a riot-accused MLA, said, “I am not aware of this incident. I would not like to comment on it unless I know the exact details of the case."

Meanwhile, Som’s opponents called for his disqualification and hoped that the Election Commission would “make an example" of the Sardhana MLA.

Som’s long-time rival Atul Pradhan, who is also contesting against him on an SP ticket from Sardhana, said, “The punishment he should receive for this is simple – disqualification. I hope the administration and the EC will make an example of him and make sure nobody uses these tactics again. They are trying to do a repeat of Muzaffarnagar and polarise voters. Everyone is now talking about Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his stature has grown in UP politics. That is why the BJP is so jittery."

Minority rights activist and Congress leader Shehzaad Poonawalla, who had filed the petition in the EC against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj last week, said, “This is a blatant violation of the EC Model Code of Conduct, the Supreme Court verdict on keeping communal propaganda out of the electoral process and a lot of other laws. I will take up this matter with the EC, just like I took up Sakshi Maharaj and Parvesh Verma hate speech cases. I hope that Som, a habitual offender with the stains of Muzaffarnagar on his hands, is booked and barred from contesting elections."