Fact Check: Samajwadi Party MLA Nitin Agrawal Who 'Distributed Liquor at Hardoi Temple' Wrongly Labelled by Media as 'BJP Leader'
Liquor bottles, kept inside food packets, were distributed at an event organised by Samajwadi Party Nitin Agrawal at a temple on Monday where the former was also present.
Hardoi, January 8: Liquor bottles, kept inside food packets, were distributed at an event organised by Samajwadi Party MLA Nitin Agrawal, who is the son of BJP leader Naresh Agrawal. While he drew flak from all sections of the media, the publications committed a faux pas by referring to him as a Bharatiya Janata Party leader. A fact check has revealed that Nitin is associated with the SP, whereas his father, Naresh Agrawal had jumped ship to the BJP last year.
Naresh Agarwal's son Nitin had organised a sammelan (conference) for the Pasi community at the Shravan Devi Temple. In a video from the event, Nitin Agarwal can be seen announcing from the dais that the food packets will be handed over to the village headman who would, in turn, distribute it to the people accompanying him.
"All the Pradhan's (village headman) must go to the place where food is being distributed. The pradhan's must take the packet to distribute it to their people," Agarwal was heard saying at the event.
One of the people who had got the packet said, "I have got this liquor bottle in the food packet here at the event. The event was organised by Nitin Agarwal."
The same packets were also distributed to the minor boys, one of who said, "I have come along with my father to attend this event. It has been given to me by Nitin Agarwal."
Following the incident, BJP Member of Parliament from Hardoi Anshul Verma criticised Agarwal for the distribution of liquor and asserted that he will be raising the issue with the party leaders.
Verma said "Naresh Agarwal, who has recently taken the membership of the BJP had organised a Pasi sammelan at one of our religious places. I will call it an unfortunate event because, to the same small children whom we have given pens and copies, Agarwal distributed the liquor bottles. I will inform the top leadership. I will also write a letter as to how the administration allowed this thing to happen. How did the excise department not take notice of such large-scale distribution of liquor? To rectify its mistake, BJP will have to rethink".
(With ANI inputs)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2019 06:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).