A BJP councillor slapped a party worker in UP for questioning Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya on UGC regulations.
The incident triggered immediate outrage, leading to the registration of an FIR against the councillor.
The dispute highlights growing internal tension within the regional party cadre during the leader's visit.
A BJP councillor slapped a party worker who was questioning Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya over the University Grants Commission’s ‘equity regulations’ issue during the BJP’s 'Prabuddh Sammelan' (intellectuals' conference), prompting a party MLA to demand action against the corporator.
On Monday evening, party worker Rohit Tiwari, alias Kaka, filed a complaint at Prayagraj's Daraganj police station against BJP councillor Vinay Mishra, following which an FIR was registered.
The incident took place on Sunday here at Parade Ground when Tiwari and another man questioned Maurya over the stayed UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, which sought to address caste-based discrimination on campus. A video of the incident has also gone viral on social media.
When Maurya was addressing the event, the two men shouted, “When will you speak about us? Please speak about UGC.”
Apparently irritated by the interruption, Maurya said, “Abhi aap chup raho, chalo. Main sab kuch bolunga. Main koi cheez bolne se kabhi nhi rukta hun (Keep quiet. Go. I will speak on everything. I don’t shy away from speaking).”
During this exchange, the police there intervened and escorted both of them out of the venue. In the meantime, BJP councillor Mishra ran towards them, caught hold of Tiwari and slapped him.
Talking to PTI on Tuesday about the incident, Allahabad North’s BJP MLA Harshvardhan Bajpai said that Maurya should have taken action against the councillor for attacking Tiwari, whom he described as a committed BJP worker from the Gangapar area of Koraon.
Bajpai said the event was essentially a Brahmin conference and questioned why it had been named a 'Prabuddh Sammelan'.
He said Tiwari raised the UGC reservation issue because it was an emotionally sensitive matter, with people concerned about its potential impact on future generations.
"The Brahmin community is hurt by the humiliation of the young man, who is a committed party worker from Gangapar and has never been involved in anti-BJP activities," the MLA said.
He added that Tiwari had not raised the question with any intention of putting the BJP in an awkward position.
The UGC Regulations, 2026, was officially notified on January 13. However, the Supreme Court placed an interim stay on the rule on January 29 after widespread criticism and protests over its potential misuse.
