Tyagi Community's Anger Can Harm BJP's Electoral Prospects In Western Uttar Pradesh

Under the banner of 'Tyagi Bhumihar Brahmin Samaj Morcha', Tyagis of western Uttar Pradesh organised protests in front of collectorates of various districts on Tuesday (6 September).

District magistrates (DM) of Muzaffarnagar, Amroha, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Baghpat, Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut and other cities received a memorandum from Tyagi samaj.

The memorandum was written on behalf of Shrikant Tyagi's wife Anu Tyagi, addressing the concerns to the Chief Minister of the state. It was signed by leaders from Tyagi samaj who reached the respective DM offices to submit their grievances.

Thirty-four-year-old Tyagi was booked under the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act after he was arrested on 9 August from Meerut by the Noida Police. He is in jail since then. His bail application was rejected last week.

Besides the Gangsters Act, he was also booked for assaulting a woman on 5 August in his housing society and in a cheating case for using stickers and a state government symbol on his cars issued only to state assembly members.

The viral video of the assault was highlighted by the media. It was followed by the actions of UP Police. The illegal parts of Tyagi's apartment were also bulldozed by Noida authority.

The Protests

The Tyagi community held a mahapanchayat on 21 August in support of Shrikant Tyagi. The authorities were given 15 days time to address their grievances.

For 15 days, there were regular protests, with the major one being at Chaudhary Charan Singh Park at Commissionary Chauraha in Meerut under the leadership of Mangeram Tyagi and Kuldeep Tyagi.

After 15 days, when no action was taken on their demands and no relief was given to Shrikant Tyagi, the members of the community marched to collectorates in various districts of western UP to submit a memorandum.

The Memorandum

Swarajya accessed a memorandum that was submitted to the Ghaziabad DM. It made the following eight demands:

1. Shrikant Tyagi should be freed from the charges of Gangsters Act and released from jail.

Why Tyagis Are Angry

It should be noted that the Tyagis are not completely against the action against Shrikant Tyagi. Most members of the community are supporting him just because they believe that the actions taken against him are disproportionately greater than his crime.

They also believe that while the action was being taken against Tyagi, his family should not have been harassed in the process.

They see it as a hypocrisy of the authorities and accuse them of treating women on the two sides differently.

"We can accept action against Shrikant Tyagi for assaulting a woman. But how can we accept the fact that for protecting the dignity of that woman, police had to harass women of Tyagi's family," a community member told Swarajya over phone.

Many community members also questioned the use of Gangsters Act in the case as they don't find Tyagi accused of anything "that big". They demand quashing of this charge and look at the strict action as a way of targeting their community.

Why Mahesh Sharma Is Facing The Ire

Anu Tyagi has alleged that her husband Shrikant Tyagi is a victim of conspiracy by BJP leader and Gautam Buddh Nagar MP Mahesh Sharma. "I was tortured by police and the administration on instructions from Sharma," she said.

While the non-political members of the community denied to comment on Sharma's role, those leading the protests have been targeting Sharma. The mahapanchayat memorandum also demanded his expulsion from the party.

"Law is equal for all. MP Mahesh Sharma has publicly abused Noida Police Commissioner which was broadcast by various channels. He should be booked for obstructing a public servant from performing his duty and abusing him," the recent memorandum said.

It is alleged that Sharma made a “personal argument” a “political issue” and used authorities to specifically target Shrikant Tyagi. They are also upset over Sharma's alleged use of derogatory words against the community, even as he has denied making such remarks.

The Political Impact

Concentrated in western UP, the Tyagi community votes for BJP en-masse. With a population of around 50 lakh, they are believed to impact results in four Lok Sabha and 15 Vidhan Sabha constituencies.

The BJP won a significant number of seats in western UP in the 2022 assembly elections, higher than what was expected against a formidable Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance. But if the Tyagis shift their political preference, the BJP might have to struggle in this part of the state.

Perhaps, Sanjeev Balyan, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, understood this political risk when he tried to control the damage by saying that action should have been taken against Shrikant Tyagi, but his family should not have been harassed.

He also assured to sit and talk with the community leaders to sort the issues out. Balyan is one of the most prominent leaders of the BJP in western UP and is believed to have a significant role in BJP winning many seats in the region.

Meanwhile, the SP tried to take advantage of the situation and woo Tyagis on its side. An SP delegation led by former UP minister and MLA Shahid Manzoor and former minister Narad Rai met Anu Tyagi.

"Tyagi is getting the punishment for the wrongs he has done but excesses have been committed by the police with his wife and family. We demand a judicial inquiry into the entire episode and action should be taken against whoever is guilty," Manzoor said.

Those on the BJP's side trying to downplay Tyagis' protests, allege that the protest has been taken over by political elements linked to the SP and farmer protesters.

The allegation is on the grounds that many farmer leaders like Mangeram Tyagi and Kuldeep Tyagi are leading the protests. The SP showing solidarity with the Tyagi family has further fuelled the charges.

However, the members of the community say that they are not aligned with any political party, while they welcome the support of any political party or organisation that wants to stand with them.

When asked about the community's political stance, Ghaziabad-based Raj Tyagi Kakda told Swarajya, "100 per cent of our community votes for BJP but now the whole samaj has got attached to this movement."

"For the one we voted, is not listening to us. The party needs to be given a shock," he further said. When asked, whether they will support the SP now, he said that no such decision has been made but they will vote for the party which will be capable of defeating the BJP.