Swami Prasad Maurya, who left the Samajwadi Party and floated his own, Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, was addressing a rally in support of the party candidate from Fatehpur Sikri in Dauki on Friday evening, when a shoe was hurled at him.

Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election 2024: A shoe was hurled at former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra district Friday, allegedly by a member of the right-wing outfit Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM). Officials said the attacker, later identified as Dharmendra Dhakrey, was arrested following the attack and the incident is being investigated.

An ABHM spokesperson claimed that Dhakrey is a member of the outfit and carried out the shoe attack at their behest because Maurya had “disrespected” Hindu saints and the Ramcharitmanas with his remarks.

“One of our members hurled a shoe at Maurya when he was delivering his speech in Dauki. We were against the leader over his remarks against Ramcharitmanas,” ABHM spokesperson Sanjay Jaat told news agency PTI.

Swami Prasad Maurya, who left the SP in February and floated his own, Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, was addressing a rally in support of the party candidate from Fatehpur Sikri in Dauki on Friday evening, when a shoe was hurled at him by the accused.

Visuals of the incident shared on social media showed the accused throwing a shoe at Maurya, following which he was grabbed by the party’s supporters before being taken away by the police as chants slogans against the leader.

“We have also written letters in blood and appealed to admit him in a mental asylum for disrespecting the Hindu saints and Ramcharitmanas,” Jaat said.

The Hindu Mahasabha members also threw ink on Maurya’s cavalcade and brandished black flags while chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans, when it was passing from Fatehabad.

“We have been following Maurya’s cavalcade from the Fatehabad toll on Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Some of the members protested at Fatehabad and showed black flags when it was passing. Besides, they also threw ink on his car,” Jaat said.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:

आगरा में स्वामी प्रसाद मौर्या के ऊपर युवक ने जूता फेका,
जूता फेककर योगी बाबा जिन्दाबाद और Swami Prasad Maurya Murdabad का नारा लगाने लगा।

कार्यकर्ताओ ने जमकर पिटाई करी।
युवक को पुलिस ने किया गिरफ्तार।#SwamiPrasadMaurya #Agra pic.twitter.com/vgUXZZIbQm

— Arvind Chandra (@ArvindChandra8) May 3, 2024

Earlier this year, Maurya had triggered a controversy by alleging that certain verses in the Ramcharitmanas, a sacred text in the Awadhi language based on the epic Ramayana, “insult” a large section of the society on the basis of caste and hence, should be banned.

Later, Maurya quit the Samajwadi Party, accusing the SP leadership of discriminating against him and not defending him over his statements on the Ramcharitmanas and the Ayodhya temple consecration ceremony.

Notably, Maurya had quit the BJP ahead of the 2022 assembly polls and joined the SP, unsuccessfully contesting polls from Fazilnagar.

Maurya has announced to fight the Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha election 2024 from the Kushinagar Lok Sabha seat.

(With PTI inputs)