Western UP: Three held after BJP MLA's supporters assaulted, cow dung thrown at them

Ahead of assembly elections in western Uttar Pradesh, supporters of BJP MLA Sahendra Ramala were allegedly assaulted and cow dung thrown at them during a poll campaign in Chhaprauli area of Baghpat district, police said on Wednesday.

The three persons have been detained in connection with the case, which appears to have taken place on Tuesday, the last day of the poll campaign, Baghpat Superintendent of Police Neeraj Singh Judaun said.

The police took note of videos that surfaced on social media and showed supporters of sitting MLA Sahendra Ramala. On the basis of the videos, three people were rounded up and taken into custody and proceedings were underway to ascertain their identities, he said.

Video clips purportedly showed cow dung also being thrown at the car-borne supporters of the MLA.

The district police chief along with some other senior officers visited the incident spot to review the situation in the area, which goes to polls on Thursday.

The incident in Chhaprauli in Baghpat district comes after several similar episodes of BJP MLAs being met by unwelcoming crowds in their constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the state.