In the Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh which went for by-polls, several Muslim voters alleged that they were beaten and harassed by the Police and authorities.
A video has emerged from Rampur wherein a Muslim woman is shouting about how the police are mercilessly beating up Muslims coming out of their houses and warning the rest not to step out.
रामपुर में मुस्लिम मतदाताओं को वोट डालने से रोक रही पुलिस। भाजपा को जिताने के लिए चुनाव को किया जा रहा प्रभावित।
मामले का संज्ञान ले चुनाव आयोग, आरोपियों पर हो कार्रवाई। @ceoup@ECISVEEP@SpokespersonECI pic.twitter.com/goMQ29BNWU
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) December 5, 2022
“The situation is extreme. Police have captured the booths, and they’re not letting Muslims cast their votes,” Maktoob media quoted Samajwadi candidate of MLA elections, Asim Raja as saying.
“There is special barricading in Muslim areas to hinder them from coming out of their house. They’re stopped at every nook and corner of the road, obstructing them from even reaching the polling booths. There’s been barely 8-10% polling from Muslim areas till now. The officials are making lame excuses by either saying it’s lunchtime or the polling machine is broken. All in all, the condition is bad,” Raja said.
The police are snatching away the voter cards of Muslim voters, abusing them, shouting at them, and even beating them up.
“This is no election. This is robbery,” Asim Raja said.
For the last week in Rampur, rallies were held by the police administration requesting people to come out on the polling day and cast their votes, but it looks like everything was all for show, an obligation for the sake of the election commission and now the conditions have flipped today.