UP polls: SP's national secretary booked for violating COVID norms

An FIR has been registered against Samajwadi Party (SP) national secretary Abhishek Mishra and others for taking out a bike rally in the Hasanganj area without permission and violating COVID norms.

The FIR was registered at the Hasanganj police station on January 16 after a video of the rally went viral on social media.

FIR registered against six people including Mishra in violation of prohibitory orders and breaching COVID-19 protocols under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 188, 269 and Epidemic Act.

"The video had been telecast live on Instagram from the ID of one Razi Hasan Samajwadi. In the videos, 15-20 people riding different bikes are seen moving from Nirala Nagar to Daliganj crossing and from Sitapur road to Pucca Pul. None of the participants were wearing masks. They were taking out the rally in a show of strength of their party and their act may spread coronavirus infection," the police said in an FIR.

The police further said that in the video were identified as the former minister, Razi Hasan, Raghvendra Bajpai, Vaibhav Mishra, Tanvir Ali and Vaibhav Bajpai.

"About 10-12 other persons in the video could not be identified and we are trying to ascertain their identity," it added.

Earlier, the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police has registered an FIR against Dadri MLA and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tejpal Nagar for violating COVID-19 norms during a door-to-door election campaign in the Greater Noida.

On Sunday, Gautam Budh Nagar Police registered an FIR against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and other Congress leaders,and others for violating COVID-19 norms while ampaigning door-to-door in Noida for the upcoming assembly elections.

Meanwhile, elections for the 403 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10, the Election Commission said. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases.

The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

( With inputs from ANI )

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