Daijiworld Media Network – Jaunpur
Jaunpur, Jun 11: In a shocking incident during a public function in Jaunpur district, Mahendra Rajbhar, national president of the Suheldev Swabhiman Party (SSP), was slapped multiple times by a party worker shortly after being garlanded on stage.
The incident occurred on Monday at Ashapur village under Jalalpur police station limits during a programme to mark Maharaja Suheldev’s victory day. The event included a 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony for the installation of Suheldev’s statue in the Rajbhar-dominated Zafarabad Assembly constituency.
The accused, Brijesh Rajbhar, who had once been associated with SSP but currently holds no official position, suddenly assaulted Mahendra Rajbhar in full public view, triggering chaos at the venue.
Following the attack, Mahendra Rajbhar alleged that Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar was behind the incident. Speaking to reporters, Mahendra claimed Brijesh had met Om Prakash just days before the event, suggesting the assault was pre-planned.
“There is no internal conflict or financial dispute in the party. I don’t know how Brijesh came to the event or who invited him,” he said. A police complaint has been filed at Jalalpur station, and the viral video of the assault is under review, confirmed SHO Triveni Singh.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav condemned the incident, calling it another example of the oppression of PDA communities — Pichde (backward), Dalits, and Alpsankhyak (minorities).
“The violent attack on senior leader Mahendra Rajbhar is yet another condemnable example of growing atrocities under BJP rule,” Yadav posted on X. He accused the BJP of trying to divide communities and demanded the immediate arrest of the attacker if the party is not complicit.
Mahendra Rajbhar had earlier served as national vice-president of SBSP before forming his own party ahead of the 2022 elections, accusing Om Prakash Rajbhar of compromising the party’s core mission.
In the current UP Assembly, SBSP’s Jagdish Narayan Rai represents Zafarabad, having won as a Samajwadi Party ally in 2022.