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In a clear snub to Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati who slammed the door on the Congress for any electoral alliance, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday paid a visit to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad in a hospital in Meerut.
The unscheduled visit is being seen in political circles as an attempt to woo the Dalits in Uttar Pradesh and pit Azad against the BSP.
"Why so much is being read into the meeting...Congress is a political party and why would it not explore all available options to evolve a cohesive combination to counter the BJP and the SP-BSP combine?" media coordinator Rajiv Bakshi commented on the meeting.
"Why so much is being read into the meeting... The Congress is a political party and why would it not explore all available options to evolve a cohesive combination to counter the BJP and the SP-BSP combine?" media coordinator Rajiv Bakshi commented on the meeting.
In a blow to the prospects of an opposition grand alliance to take on the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha polls, Mayawati had on Tuesday said her party would not have an election tie-up with the Congress in any state.
Priyanka Gandhi, however, said no political motive should be imputed to her meeting with Azad.
"He is fighting for a cause. I like his struggle and no politics should be seen in the meeting," the Congress general secretary told media persons waiting anxiously outside the Meerut hospital.
"It (the meeting) should be seen with the view point that he (Azad) is a youth and is struggling and raising his voice, telling the society to listen to his problem, but this government is so egoistic that it is gagging the voice of youth.
"It does not want to listen to the youth...they did not give employment to them and when the voice is being raised, it should be allowed," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi did not respond to questions as to whether Azad will be fielded by the Congress in the coming elections or urged to join the party.
Talking to reporters after Gandhi left the hospital, the Bhim Army chief maintained that he did not talk about politics with the Congress leader during their meeting.
"I got to know about it (Priyanka's visit) from the media. She had come to enquire about my well being. I am not a political person...I am struggling for the 'bahujan samaj'. She had not come to talk about politics nor did she ask me anything political," he said.
Azad was taken into custody by police on Tuesday for violating the model code of conduct, officials said.
He was detained while leading a procession that included cars and motorcycles, but was shifted to the hospital when he took ill.
The code violation was allegedly over the number of vehicles in the political rally.
"I will keep fighting for the bahujan samaj till my last breath... bahujan samaj is my strength... if she (Priyanka) wants to do politics, my best wishes are with her...," the Bhim Army chief said.
When asked whether Priyanka Gandhi can stop the BJP juggernaut, Azad said non-BJP parties will be able to do so 'unitedly'.
Along with Priyanka Gandhi, Congress general secretary for western Uttar Pradesh Jyotiraditya Scindia also met the Dalit leader.
The meeting of the Congress general secretaries assumes significance ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections beginning April 11.
The Bhim Army, which has gained traction among Dalit youths in western Uttar Pradesh, is considering to field candidates in the general elections.
Azad had recently said that his outfit would field strong candidates against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Smriti Irani if the opposition failed to pose a challenge to the top leaders.
He also demanded the anti-BJP block to 'strengthen' its battle against the 'saffron forces'.
The 33-year-old leader had also said that he would contest against Modi from Varanasi if the Samajwadi Party-BSP alliance failed to field a strong candidate in the PM's constituency.
The Bhim Army chief had also flagged off the 'Hunkar rally' in Meerut on Sunday, which is to culminate at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on March 15.
The Congress, which has been cold-shouldered by the BSP, is seeking support from smaller parties across the state.
The SP and the BSP have stitched together an alliance in Uttar Pradesh, keeping the Congress out, though the two parties decided not to field any candidates in Rae Bareli and Amethi, the traditional strongholds of the grand old party.
Of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the SP will contest 37 and the BSP 38, leaving three for the Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal and two for Sonia Gandhi (Rae Bareli) and Rahul Gandhi (Amethi).
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has given Priyanka Gandhi the charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Scindia western Uttar Pradesh.
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Bhim Army founder, 27 others booked for rioting, assaulting public servants'
Azad has been booked on charges of assaulting public servants and defying their orders besides rioting along with his supporters in their bid to take out a political rally in Saharanpur, police said on Wednesday.
The first information report has been registered under sections 147 (rioting), 188 (defying public servants' orders), 171F (causing undue influence in an election), 341 (causing wrongful restraint) and 353 (assaulting public servants) under the Indian Penal Code, he said.
Azad and his supporters were also charged with violating the model code of conduct in force since announcement of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections schedule on Sunday, he said.
Kumar said Deoband police station in-charge along with sub-divisional magistrate and circle officer asked Azad and his supporters not to take out the procession as the model code of conduct was in force .
But Azad and his supporters ignored the instructions and sought to violate them forcibly, following which the police had to take action, he said.
The SSP said the police are in possession on the video recordings of the people obstructing the traffic and breaching the law. The police also have the registration numbers of motorcycles and other vehicles, whose owners would be proceeded against, he said.
On being stopped, Azad and his supporters stopped traffic on Muzaffarnagar-Meerut high way with the women lying down on the road, following which her had to be arrested, police said.
Azad, however, had to be admitted in a hospital at Meerut after he was taken ill.
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Akhilesh meets Mayawati after Priyanka meets Bhim Army chief
The chiefs of Uttar Pradesh alliance partners SP and BSP met in Lucknow on Wednesday hours after Priyanka Gandhi paid a surprise visit to Azad at a Meerut hospital.
When contacted, SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said the two leaders met to discuss joint public meetings and rallies, being planned for the Lok Sabha polls.
Meetings are being held constantly as the election is round the corner and the poll campaign has to be launched full scale after Holi next week, he said.
The alliance has left two seats for the Congress in the state and will honestly support it on them, said Chaudhary.
Meanwhile, a senior SP leader, who did not wish to be named, claimed Priyanka Gandhi's visit to the Bhim Army chief was in reaction to the BSP president ruling out any alliance with the Congress.
"But Mayawati is not someone who will yield to any kind of pressure. This alliance will not come under pressure. It has already given two seats to the Congress," he added.