Tyagi community holds Mahapanchayat in support of jailed politician in Noida, targets BJP

The Tyagi community held a mahapanchayat in Uttar Pradesh's Noida on Sunday expressing support for jailed politician Shrikant Tyagi who has been booked for assaulting a woman and misusing state government symbols on his car.

A banner displayed at the entry of Gejha village, where the congregation was held, read, ''Humare gaon mein BJP netaon ka pravesh band hai (Entry of BJP politicians is prohibited in our village.'' The congregation started around 10 am at the Ramlila ground in the village on the call of locals even as hundreds of community members from parts of western Uttar Pradesh like Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Agra and Hapur reached here for the programme.

Shrikant Tyagi was arrested on August 9 from Meerut after he remained absconding for four days since assaulting and abusing a woman co-resident of his Grand Omaxe society in Sector 93B. Until he went underground on August 5, Tyagi had claimed to be a BJP functionary but the party had denied any links with him. Tyagi's wife Annu also attended the mahapanchayat, being held in her native Gejha village. Pawan Tyagi, who identified himself as spokesperson of the Tyagi-Brahmin Association, said Shrikant had misbehaved with the woman as a result of a society-level conflict.

''Whatever charges are appropriate for that case, he must be punished accordingly. But if you press Goonda Act or Gangsters Act in such a case, is this justified? Second, his wife Annu, who is attending today's mahapanchayat, was detained by the police and the family harassed by ways of power cut etc,'' he told reporters.

''All this happened on instructions of Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma who had called UP government's additional chief secretary (Awanish Awasthi) while he was live on TV news cameras. This whole mahapanchayat is against Mahesh Sharma and the unfair action taken against the Tyagi family,'' he claimed.

Officials said security has been stepped up in Noida with deployment of hundreds of policemen and rapid action force (RAF) personnel being pressed into duty over law and order concerns.

Security has also been stepped up at the offices and hospitals belonging to Gautam Buddh Nagar Lok Sabha MP and BJP leader Mahesh Sharma in a precautionary measure, the police said.

The Tyagi community is believed to be unhappy with Sharma over his role during the Shrikant Tyagi episode earlier this month. They are also upset over Sharma's alleged use of derogatory words against the community, even as the former union minister has denied making such remarks.

''The whole community is together in seeking justice for Shrikant Tyagi and his wife,'' a community member who came from Agra said.

Another man leading a group from Muzaffarnagar told reporters, ''Shrikant should be released and sister Annu's dignity should be brought back as she was harassed by the administration.'' A group of men in their 20s from Muzaffarnagar alleged that the BJP has ''worsened'' the matter, and said their struggle would continue ''till the Tyagi community's pride is not restored''. They demanded that the police cases against six associates of Shrikant Tyagi should also be taken back. Meanwhile, the traffic was diverted on several routes in Noida in view of the event as scores of people landed in cars, buses, motorcycles, and tractors from parts of western UP for the mahapanchayat.