Ballia shootout: Stay away from probe, BJP’s stern message to local MLA Surendra Singh

Ballia shooting: BJP President JP Nadda has expressed displeasure over the statements of MLA Surendra Singh regarding the Ballia incident, where a farmer was allegedly shot dead by Dhirendra Singh, a close aide of the legislator. Nadda has spoken to UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh and asked him to convey it to the MLA to “stay away from the probe”, ANI reported citing sources.

The incident happened last Thursday, when Dhirendra Singh allegedly shot dead a 46-year-old person in presence of senior district officials and hundred others. A day later, MLA Surendra Singh admitted on record that Dhirendra was known to him and that he had fired in self-defence. He also claimed that if Dhirendra had not fired, some of the women of his family would have been killed in the incident.

On Saturday, the BJP MLA went to Revati police station in Ballia and demanded that an FIR should be registered based on the application submitted by accused Singh’s female relatives. He alleged that the women had sustained injuries in stone-pelting during the incident on Thursday. Surendra Singh reportedly had also taken them to the district hospital for their medical examination.

Following these developments, Surendra Singh was summoned by the party leadership to Lucknow. Reports suggest that the MLA met the UP BJP chief and state general secretary (organisation) Sunil Bansal at the party office in Lucknow and was strictly told to stay away from the ongoing probe.

Dhirendra Singh, who was on the run for days, was arrested on Sunday by the UP Police Special Task Force.