Pappu Yadav Alleges Murder Plot; Man at His Home Gives Opposite Account
Independent MP from Bihar, Pappu Yadav, has alleged a conspiracy to kill him, a day after two men entered his official residence in the national capital, triggering a security scare and chaotic scenes at a press conference.
Yadav told NDTV that he met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to inform him that, according to rules, no police case can be filed against him without the Speaker's permission. The MP claimed that the two men who entered his house were carrying a knife and that one of them threw a slipper at him.
However, one of the two men, Happy Sharma, has denied these allegations in an interview with NDTV. Sharma said no knife or slipper attack took place, contrary to widespread reports. "We are not affiliated with any political party. We are Sanatanis. We were assaulted instead, for which we will file a police case," he said.
Sharma said he went to the MP's residence with a friend, Sumit, to speak to Yadav about his recent skit on the Ram Temple offerings theft case. "We identified ourselves and told them we had come to meet the MP," he recounted.
According to Sharma, during the meeting he asked Yadav: "You raise questions about Sanatan Dharma, yet you wear saffron robes and bow down to touch people's feet. Is this right?" He alleged that immediately after this, people present at the residence began assaulting them. "They dragged Sumit into a room while I managed to run. Still, at least 50-60 people thrashed me. They should not have done that. We had simply gone to point out that he is a Sanatani and to tell him that making comments about Lord Ram is wrong," Sharma said.
Yadav, however, insisted that a conspiracy to kill him was being hatched. He said he had to request security from the Speaker. A case has been registered against him, even though such a case cannot be filed without the Speaker's permission, he added.
The independent MP has defended his skit outside Parliament, saying Opposition MPs raised the issue of donation theft without naming or abusing any individual. His skit, he said, was within the bounds of propriety.
"My question is straightforward. We respect all saints. I did not name any specific individual, nor did we abuse anyone. It was the Opposition's protest which included Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav. Rahul Gandhi is raising the donation theft issue, and I just presented it through a skit," Yadav said.
The incident has raised questions about security protocols for MPs and the need for a thorough investigation. Police have not yet filed an FIR in the matter, as the allegations and counter-allegations present conflicting accounts. The Lok Sabha Speaker's office has not issued a public statement on the meeting with Yadav.
Both Yadav and Sharma have indicated they will pursue legal remedies. The development comes amid heightened political tensions over the Ram Temple offerings theft controversy, which has seen protests by Opposition leaders.
