Lucknow, May 5 (IANS): All the rallies of BSP National Coordinator Akash Anand have been postponed in Uttar Pradesh without assigning any reason. This comes following the registration of an FIR in a hate speech case in Sitapur on April 29.

Akash launched his party’s campaign from Nagina Lok Sabha seat on April 6. Later, he addressed a series of rallies in west and east Uttar Pradesh, including Agra, Bulandshahr, Mathura, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh and Kaushambi.

On April 29, Akash addressed a public meeting in Sitapur for the party candidate Mahendra Yadav. Later, the district police registered an FIR against Akash and 36 other party men over the violation of the model code of conduct under IPC Section 502 (2) (promoting hatred), and Section 125 of the Representation of People’s Act.

The BSP leader was to address public meetings in Lucknow and Kanpur on May 1 but both were postponed. The BSP did not give reasons for the sudden postponement of the rallies but a BSP leader familiar with the development said the rallies had been deferred after the registration of the FIR.