A BJP public meeting in the poll-bound state’s Faridabad on Saturday saw the Nuh violence case accused Rajkumar alias Bittu Bajrangi sharing a stage with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, declaring his support for the BJP Faridabad NIT candidate. The 2023 Nuh violence and the series of clashes followed between two different communities had killed several innocent people in the Nuh district of Haryana. The event has invited criticism from the opposition due to the presence of the communal violence accused in the election campaign.

The violence known as the Haryana riot had killed at least six, with the police booking 116 for unleashing the communal violence, including Bittu Bajrangi.

Read Also: Haryana Congress Candidate Promises Law Against Mob Lynching, Inquiry On Nuh Violence

Faridabad NIT assembly constituency is one of the 90 segments in Haryana, and the Nuh violence accused, Bittu, had filed his nomination as an independent from the seat. However, Bittu has now declared his support for the BJP candidate from the constituency, Satish Kumar Phagna

Along with Bittu, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister Krishan Pal Gurjar, as well as BJP candidates Dhanesh Adlakha, Satish Kumar Phagna, and Tek Chand Sharma, were present on the stage.

Read Also: Rahul Gandhi Attacks BJP Over Unemployment, Asks Why Youth Are Leaving Haryana

The Nuh riot accused was seen flashing a victory sign along with Yogi Adityanath and Krishan Pal Gurjar in one of the photos of the public event shared by Phagna on his social media platform.

Sharing the photo, the Faridabad BJP candidate on his Facebook post wrote, “Shri Bittu Bajrangi (president of Gauraksha Bajrang Force), inspired by the nationalist ideology, good governance, and the policies of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), extended his full support during the massive public rally of the Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath ji, in the esteemed presence of senior BJP leaders and workers. I warmly welcome and extend my heartfelt thanks to him and all his supporters.” Bajrangi also announced his decision to support the BJP candidate in a Facebook post.

However, the presence of the accused in the communal violence has sparked controversy, with the Congress candidate from NIT Assembly constituency, Neeraj Sharma, saying that the presence of Bittu exposed the real face of the BJP, noting the saffron party’s double standards of the party in matter of taking support or patronizing individuals with criminal record,double standards of the party in matter of taking support or patronizing individuals with criminal record.

Reacting to Bittu’s presence in the BJP campaign event, Congress leader Baljeet Kaushik alleged it was the BJP’s strategy to befool the people in the name of religion, adding that the development shows how the BJP was playing with the sentiments of people by supporting the accused in the communal riots.