Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, said on Monday that the Bahraich violence was orchestrated by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party in advance of the November 13 bypolls. According to news agency ANI, Yadav said, “Given the impending elections in the state, whatever happened in Bahraich was planned by the BJP.”

Following the shooting murder of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra during a religious procession on October 13, there was violence in the Bahraich region of Uttar Pradesh.

Following a dispute about loud music being played outside a house of worship in Maharajganj, there was an increase in intercommunal violence. When the encounter became violent, it spread across the community, resulting in destruction and arson as well as a four-day internet ban.

In relation to Mishra’s murder and the subsequent violence, the district saw the filing of at least 11 FIRs. Prior to this, Sarfaraz and his companion Talib, who are suspected of Bahraich violence, were shot in the leg by police after a confrontation last week. Their goal was to flee to Nepal.

A police outpost in-charge and a station house officer (SHO) were suspended in the wake of the violence, while Tehsildar Ravikant Dwivedi, Circle Officer Rupendra Gaur, and District Information Officer Ghulam Waris Siddiqui were relieved of their duties.