Lucknow:
Senior Samajwadi Party leader Chandra Nath Singh was detained late last night after a woman passenger onboard the Pratapgarh-New Delhi Padmavat Express accused him of misbehaving with her. The woman also alleged that Mr Singh was drunk.
The 62-year-old politician, a former Member of Parliament from Shahjahanpur, was deboarded from the train by the Government Railway Police (GRP).
The SP leader, however, rubbished these allegations. "There was no molestation, I have been told that they have realised their mistake. We were not involved in any kind of intoxication," he said. Mr Singh's medical examination later confirmed that he was not under the influence of alcohol when the incident took place. He was let-off hours later after the woman withdrew her complaint.
Mr Singh is SP's official candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He had boarded the train from Pratapgarh and was on his way to Delhi, police said. The politician was involved in a quarrel over seats, they said.
Meanwhile, the main Opposition party in the state assembly, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), walked out of the Legislative Council and demanded stringent and immediate action against the SP leader.
"The Samajwadi party that is ruling in UP is about mafia and their Gundaraj. That is why I have told many times that the central Govt should leave and give presidential rule in UP," BSP leader and former UP Chief Minister Mayawati said.