Lawyer who slapped BJP MLA hailed as hero by Hindu right group

A lawyer who was caught on camera slapping a BJP MLA was given a grand welcome on Sunday by a Hindu right group, with participants hailing him with chants of "Sher Aya, Sher Aya".

Advocate Awadhesh Singh was given the welcome at a 'shastra poojan' event organised by Karni Sena in UP's Lakhimpur Kheri.

A video of the event where people hailed Singh as a hero circulated widely on social media.

The District Bar Association President came to limelight after he slapped BJP MLA Yogesh Verma on October 9 during the nomination filing for Urban Cooperative Bank at the bank's headquarters.

In the wake of the ensuing controversy, BJP state general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla served a show-cause notice to Singh, his wife and former UCB chairperson Pushpa Singh, and BJP members Anil Yadav and Jyoti Shukla.

No FIR has been lodged so far in the matter, even though three complaints from both parties have been filed with police.

On Saturday, under the banner of Patel Seva Sansthan, various social and business outfits held a sarva samaj panchayat in support of Verma.

The group handed a memorandum to Superintendent of Police Ganesh Prasad Saha at the collectorate demanding action in the matter.