An unsettling scene unfolded during a public gathering in Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, when a man attempted to slap Swami Prasad Maurya, the former state minister and ex-Samajwadi Party leader, all of it caught on camera.
The commotion broke out at Saras Crossing, where Maurya, now leading the Lok Morcha party, had briefly stopped for a welcoming event arranged by his supporters. As he walked forward to greet the assembled crowd, a man who seemed to be offering a garland abruptly struck Maurya from behind.
The situation escalated quicklyMaurya’s supporters rushed to subdue the attacker, resorting to violence before local police could intervene. Soon after, footage of the assault spread rapidly on social media platforms, stirring further debate and reaction.
According to police, two people involved in the incident have been taken into custody and are being questioned. “Within the enthusiastic supporters were two men holding garlands who created the disturbance,” Circle Officer Amit Singh told PTI. Early news reports indicate that the main assailant may have ties to the Karni Sena.
In a forceful response, Maurya accused the Karni Sena of brazenly flouting the law with the backing of those in powerspecifically pointing to the ruling BJP and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He lamented, “This kind of protection allows a few troublemakers from this group to keep breaking the rules. Since they are from the chief minister’s own community, there’s rarely any action against them.” Maurya also issued a stark warning, suggesting that if such brazen attacks can occur right in front of law enforcement, one can only imagine the situation when no police are around.
Using the attack as a rallying point, Mauryaformerly Opposition Leader in the state assemblydid not hold back. He announced that the Lok Morcha intends to contest the 2027 assembly elections under the bold slogan, ‘Remove BJP, Save UP’.
