‘Mafia on stage’: BJP leader storms out of Ayodhya press conference

Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Faizabad MP Lallu Singh abruptly walked out of a press conference in Ayodhya on Thursday, claiming that “mafia elements are present on the dais”.

IMAGE: Former BJP MP Lallu Singh. Photo: ANI Photo

“I cannot deal with the mafia,” Singh said as he abruptly left the press conference organised by the BJP state leadership in Ayodhya.

Singh alleged that there were ‘mafia elements present on the stage’, causing him to get up and leave the premises.

While Singh did not want to name specific names, he pointedly pointed to BJP leader Shivendra Singh, who was sitting on the dais.

“The mafia was present on stage and I can never associate myself with such elements. I have consistently fought against the mafia because they exploit and oppress the society,” Singh told the media.

The press conference was convened by BJP State General Secretary Sanjay Rai at the Ayodhya Circuit House regarding the membership drive.

Shivendra Singh was arrested for attempt to murder and the Gangster Act and was lodged in Faizabad Jail in 2018. He was later shifted to Barabanki Jail.

Speaking with PTISingh said, “Former MP Lallu Singh conspired with notorious criminals and hardened history-makers throughout his election campaign, which ultimately led to his downfall in the elections.”

Lallu Singh lost the Faizabad seat to Awdhesh Prasad of the Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha elections.

Rajneesh Singh, BJP spokesperson in Ayodhya, said, “Lallu Singh has always adhered to the rules of political propriety throughout his political career.”

“He has consistently distanced himself from criminals in his political activities and has never sided with them,” he added.