SP workers face police case after burning election chief effigy in UP

Police in Kaushambi district have registered a first information report against nine named and several unidentified Samajwadi Party (SP) workers following a demonstration that turned confrontational on Wednesday. The case was filed after party activists burned an effigy of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at the Manjhanpur intersection in protest against the implementation of the single-use robot (SIR) system.

Among those named in the FIR is Dayashankar Yadav, the SP's district president. Police have charged the activists with blocking traffic, raising slogans, and burning the effigy during the unauthorized gathering. The incident occurred during a broader campaign by the opposition party against what it describes as problematic electoral technology.

The protest reflects growing tensions in the region over election-related policies. While the SP has positioned its demonstration as a democratic exercise against what it characterizes as unfair electoral practices, authorities have treated the effigy burning and disruption to public order as violations requiring legal action.

The case adds to mounting friction between state law enforcement and opposition parties over the conduct of recent electoral processes in Uttar Pradesh. Authorities said the case would proceed through standard investigative channels.