Lucknow, Jan 18 (IANS): An FIR has been registered against former Uttar Pradesh Minister and senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, Abhishek Mishra, and others for taking out a bike rally in violation of prohibitory orders and breaching Covid protocols.

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

Sub-inspector Abhay Kumar Singh said two videos went viral on the WhatsApp group of Hasanganj police.

"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 official said.

He said those 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," he said.

The accused have been booked for violating prohibitory orders restricting a gathering of four or more people, negligently doing any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life.

Additional commissioner of police, North Zone, Prachi Singh, said further investigations are underway.

Three days ago, the Gautam Palli police had registered a case against 2,500 SP workers for violating Covid protocols after a huge crowd gathered at the SP office for the joining of former BJP Minister Swami Prasad Maurya.

Later, the station house officer Dinesh Singh Bisht was suspended on the directive of the Election Commission.