Meerut (UP), Oct 24 BJP leader and former Sardhana MLA Sangeet Singh Som has accused Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav of conspiring to have him killed, an allegation the SP has described as politically motivated.
Som, known for making controversial statements, reportedly made the allegation during a recent podcast, claiming an alleged plan involving a person named Titu Yadav could not be executed.
Reacting to the allegation, SP MLA and former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Shahid Manzoor declined to comment directly. He suggested that if Som feels his life is in danger, he should request additional security from the government.
“He is a BJP leader, a former MLA and a firebrand leader. His party is in power. If he faces a threat to his life, he should apply to the government. If 26-27 security personnel are not enough, he can take 50-100 personnel. If even Z-plus security is insufficient, he could seek protection from the National Security Guard (NSG),” Manzoor told PTI.
Manzoor also asked Som to check how many security personnel the Akhilesh Yadav government had provided him when he was an MLA.
Suggesting that the allegation could be politically motivated, Manzoor said, “Perhaps someone is saying such things to increase his TRP. It is also possible that he is doing this to secure his ticket. I do not want to comment on it.”
During the podcast and in discussions with the media, Som alleged that Akhilesh Yadav had intended to have him killed through Titu Yadav. He claimed that shortly after arriving at Muzaffarnagar jail, he was transferred to another prison and driven through forests for an entire night.
Som further stated that upon arriving at Orai jail, he was isolated, with other inmates removed from his vicinity. According to him, some officials had even warned him about a potential threat to his life.
The BJP leader claimed that if it weren’t for the support of the public, he might have been killed. “Even today, when I recall those events, I shudder, thinking about how Akhilesh Yadav intended to have me killed. I even mentioned this when I was asked about it in an interview. In fact, I said the very same thing to them just yesterday. I had said that Akhilesh Yadav wanted to kill me. I say this today, loud and clear — had it not been for the support of the public, Akhilesh Yadav would have certainly had me killed,” he told reporters in Delhi.
Attempts by PTI to contact Som for a response were unsuccessful, as his mobile phone was switched off.
Som has previously accused the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP government of filing serious criminal cases against him and other leaders during its tenure.
Before joining the BJP in 2011, Som was associated with the SP and contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from Muzaffarnagar on an SP ticket.
He won the Sardhana Assembly seat on a BJP ticket in 2012.
(PTI News)
