Ayodhya, Oct 8: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, during his visit to the holy city on Thursday, issued a direct challenge to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to contest the upcoming UP Assembly elections from Ayodhya.

Akhilesh Yadav’s dare to the Chief Minister ignites public interest because the BJP, having championed the cause of the Ram Mandir movement, was vanquished by the SP candidate in the previous elections.

The SP chief, who refrained from visiting the Ram Temple despite his third trip to the holy city since its inauguration in 2024, said that the BJP was struggling to find a candidate in Ayodhya and its “internal surveys are hinting at another rout”.

“If the Chief Minister who makes tall claims and remains so confident, he should contest the election from Ayodhya,” the SP leader mockingly said, eliciting cheers from the supporters.

“Ever since we announced our candidate for Ayodhya, the BJP has been conducting survey after survey. In every single survey, it is falling behind. There is growing buzz that the party is unable to even find a suitable candidate for Ayodhya,” he further said, adding that their ‘false prestige’ will be stripped away.

Reiterating the party’s poll pledge, Akhilesh Yadav said that womenfolk in the state, including mothers and sisters, will be provided with Rs 40,000 monetary assistance every year, and this will bring “real change” in their lives.

Outlining the party’s plans for reviving Ayodhya’s glory and identity, he said that when the socialist government is formed in the state, it will work to accelerate development, bringing international recognition to the city, the birthplace of Lord Ram.

“In the coming times, when a socialist government will be in power, there will be no discrimination against you, nor will your shop or house be demolished,” he said, in a direct reference to the “bulldozer justice” under the incumbent Yogi Adityanath government.

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state, is bracing for high-stakes Assembly elections early next year, and the ruling as well as the Opposition parties have already started outreach and mass mobilisation programs to woo the electorate.

New Delhi, Oct 8: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged sexual harassment of three women journalists by Delhi Police personnel during a protest at Jantar Mantar on October 3.

Observing that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights, the NHRC has issued a notice to the Delhi Police Commissioner, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

According to the media report, three women journalists alleged that they were subjected to sexual misconduct by police personnel while being detained during the protests at Jantar Mantar.

The NHRC said the press report, carried on October 5, stated that the New Delhi District Police had received complaints regarding the alleged incidents and transferred them to the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police for an enquiry.

The Delhi Police said that the complaints were being transferred to the Crime Branch for a “fair and impartial enquiry”.

In a post on X, the Delhi Police said that on October 3, during the protest in the New Delhi area, allegations of sexual harassment were made by three female journalists against police officers.

“New Delhi District has received their complaints, and the same have been transferred to Crime Branch for fair and impartial enquiry,” it said.

The protests were being held at Jantar Mantar despite prohibitory orders, with protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Meanwhile, amid the allegations, Vivek Bhagat, Assistant Commissioner of Police, voluntarily requested that he not be allowed to continue with his temporary current duty charge assignment until a full enquiry into the alleged harassment of the women journalists was conducted and satisfactorily concluded.

Following his request, the Delhi government modified an October 5 order assigning additional charge to senior police officers. The revised order excluded Bhagat and covered the remaining 11 officers.

New Delhi, Oct 8: A couple of Delhi Police personnel who allegedly came under attack from the Congress workers and supporters during the INDIA bloc stir in the national capital a day before, narrated the ordeal that they underwent while trying to contain the surging crowd.

A couple of Delhi Police Constables, including women personnel spoke to media, recounting the physical attack inflicted on them while the Congress-led INDIA bloc protested against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

They claimed that they were kicked and punched by the mob while doing their duty.

Deependra Sandhu, a Delhi Police Constable, said that he was assaulted while trying to control the unruly protesters on Wednesday.

“They (protesters) deliberately targeted us because we were informing everyone that Section 163 was in force in the area and that they could not protest here. Suddenly, they went behind us and pulled us from behind. They then pushed us to the ground and started kicking and punching us. We somehow managed to protect ourselves and get away,” he recalled.

The Constable also told media that he saw the attacker running from the protest site after assaulting him from the behind.

“The man who pulled me down from behind and kicked me was wearing white clothes,” he said.

Head Constable Bhupendra Ahlawat had a similar tale to share. He, too, was attacked allegedly by Congress workers while he was in police uniform.

He called it a planned attack as the attacker was allegedly given a “cover and escape route” by the protesting party workers.

“I am the one who was kicked. They intentionally and deliberately pulled me from behind by my waist and made me fall. When I turned around to see who it was and whether I recognised him or not, as soon as I made eye contact with him, the Congress workers hid him. They took him to the green area in the middle of the roundabout and deliberately made him leave after asking him and hiding him,” he said.

Seema, a woman Constable said that she was assaulted during the INDIA bloc protest on Tuesday.

“It is our duty to follow the instructions given by our officers. At that time, we do not pay attention to whether we are getting injured. I realised only later that I had been injured. This happened at Akashvani Bhavan, when we were detaining the legislators.”

“They were the MLAs who were sitting with Priyanka Gandhi,” she added.

According to reports, the Delhi Police have lodged multiple FIRs over alleged misbehaviour, manhandling and assault of its personnel by the Opposition workers, while they adhered to security protocols and strived to maintain order amid difficult circumstances.