Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh. (File)
Samajwadi Party youth workers undertook a "purification" exercise of the places visited by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh by sprinkling 'Gangajal' (water from Ganga River).
A video of the purification exercises has surfaced on the internet.
A case was lodged against Samajwadi Party Yuvjan Sabha state president Bhavesh Yadav and 8-10 other people, Superintendent of Police Chakresh Misra said today. Yadav has been arrested, he added.
The chief minister had inaugurated and laid foundations of projects worth Rs 275 crore and addressed a public meeting at Kaila Devi in Sambhal district on Tuesday.
A day later, Bhavesh Yadav and SP Yuvjan Sabha workers undertook the 'shuddhikaran' (purification) exercise of the venue of the chief minister's public meeting and helipad by sprinkling waters from the Ganga river.
Mr Yadav claimed he conducted the purification drive as Mr Adityanath has "insulted" Maa Kaila Devi by not visiting the temple when he was here.
A resident of Sambhal filed a complaint at the Bahjoi police state alleging that Mr Yadav's action has upset followers of Mr Adityanath who is also a religious leader.
Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has often alleged that when he vacated the chief minister's official residence at 5, Kalidas Marg in Lucknow after his defeat in the 2017 assembly elections, seers and priests had undertaken "purifying rituals" at the sprawling bungalow to make it ready for Yogi Adityanath.
Mr Yadav had also said that he would get the fire brigade to spray 'Gangajal' on it after returning to power in 2022.