Man Claiming To Be BJP Worker Dupes Migrants, Took Rs 1.16 Lakh For Train Fare & Beat Them Up
A man in Gujarat's Surat, who allegedly describes himself as a BJP worker on his social media profile, has been accused of brutally thrashing a migrant worker after charging him and three others three times the regular price of train tickets to return home. However, BJP denied that the man was the party's member.
A man in Gujarat's Surat, who allegedly describes himself as a BJP worker on his social media profile, has been accused of brutally thrashing a migrant worker after charging him and three others three times the regular price of train tickets to return home.
According to a report by NDTV, the ruling BJP has denied that the accused was a member of the party. He has been arrested.
A video of the incident which took place outside the accused's office went viral on social media.
Shocking video from Surat, Gujarat.
¡ª Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) May 8, 2020
BJP worker Rajesh Verma asked 100 migrant workers from Jharkhand to pay for their train tickets in advance. They were charged 3x the original price.
When a migrant worker went to his house to protest, he was beaten & hit with wooden plank. pic.twitter.com/fXj5o5ojnu
Rajesh Verma, who describes himself as a BJP worker on his Facebook profile and is seen with leaders of the party in photos, had taken more than Rs 1 lakh from a group of migrant workers from Jharkhand for the train tickets, the workers have said.
However, after one of the workers, Vasudev Verma, went to ask about the status of tickets, Rajesh Verma and his men beat him up with wooden planks.
"I went to get the tickets. Had given him Rs 1.16 lakh. He said, 'Won't give your money back. You can do what you want'. He is selling the tickets for Rs 2,000. When I went to protest, Rajesh Verma beat me with planks and stones. My body is completely sore," a bleeding Vasudev Verma is heard saying in a video shared by a Congress leader.
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"Vasudev Verma, who hails from Jharkhand, had given money to Rajesh to buy train tickets for his native state," said Assistant Commissioner of Police AM Parmar. "Rajesh beat up Vasudev after he went to collect the tickets on Thursday and they had a heated argument. We have arrested Rajesh."
The Congress alleged that Rajesh was a BJP worker and fleecing helpless migrant workers who wanted to go home by Shramik Special trains.
But the BJP said he had nothing to do with the party.
"Rajesh Verma is not a BJP worker. The party has not asked any of its workers to book tickets. The party has nothing to do with this," said Surat BJP president Nitin Bhajiawala.
