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After BJP MLA Agarwal threatens to skin cops alive, Yogi calls him to Lucknow

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday asked belligerent BJP MLA Radha Mohan Das Agarwal to meet him Lucknow shortly after he warned senior police officials that they would be ‘skinned alive’ if they failed to take action against woman IPS officer Charu Nigam for violating service rules.

Agarwal had drawn flak after he was caught on camera berating Nigam during a agitation by women against unlicensed wine shops on Sunday.

“If you fail to act against the woman IPS officer for violation of service rules, I will raise the issue in the assembly following which not only will Charu Nigam lose her job, but you will also be skinned alive,” the lawmaker warned the inspector general of police (IGP), deputy inspector general and senior superintendent of police (Gorakhpur) while staging a sit-in beneath the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Town Hall in the city.

The chief minister spoke to Agarwal on the phone after which the MLA ended his sit-in against unlicensed liquor shops in Gorakhpur at 3.30pm instead of 4 pm as originally scheduled.

Agarwal said he would hand over to the chief minister a memorandum seeking action against the unlicensed liquor vends.

The BJP distanced itself from the MLA’s sit-in. Barring a few party workers, no senior functionary extended support to him.

Read more: ‘My training hasn’t taught me to be weak’: Woman cop berated by BJP MLA on FB

On Sunday, Agarwal had asked Nigam not to “cross limits” after police attempted to remove anti-liquor protesters in his constituency which is also the chief minister’s base.

The MLA’s alleged abrasive behaviour had left the police officer teary eyed, although she later said it should not be seen as a sign of weakness.

On Wednesday, Agarwal asked senior police officials to go through Nigam’s Facebook posts in order to book her for violation of service rules.

“A government official, no matter how big his status is or which department he belongs to, has no right to express his views openly through newspapers or the social media,” he said.

Unfazed by Agarwal’s warning, Nigam told HT: “Let him do whatever he can. I don’t like to comment on such people.”

Nigam, who had earlier termed the MLA’s sit-in a publicity stunt, again rejected the legislator’s charges of police brutality on women agitators.

“I reiterate that no lathi charge was done that day. He is lying,” she said. “Had the police unleashed brutality on women, would the issue have gone uncovered by the media?” she asked.

When asked to respond on MLA’s allegation that posting on social media to put forth her stand was violation of government service rules she said, “Service guidelines don’t curtail my freedom of expression.”

Source: HindustanTimes