Lucknow: In Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, an FIR has been registered against Samajwadi Party MLA Shahjil Islam for assaulting his driver, Dharmendra, who is from the Dalit (SC) community. The alleged reason behind the assault is that the victim did not clean the MLA's car to his satisfaction. During the incident, the MLA reportedly used casteist slurs against the victim and also issued threats to his life. The police are currently investigating this incident, which took place on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

According to media reports, SP MLA Shahjil Islam from the Bhojipura Assembly was traveling from Lucknow to Bareilly by train on the night of Friday, October 27, 2023. The victim, driver Dharmendra, and the MLA's security personnel, Salim, had arrived at Bareilly Railway Junction at midnight. Due to train delays, they reached their destination on Saturday morning. Upon disembarking from the train, Shahajil Islam expressed dissatisfaction with the cleanliness of his car, which triggered his anger towards the driver, Dharmendra.

According to Dharmendra, the MLA berated him, saying, "Clean the car, you dog. Laundrymen like you only know how to clean clothes, but you can't drive a car." Dharmendra objected to the derogatory language used by the SP MLA, which further infuriated Shahjil Islam, leading him to slap Dharmendra. Following the physical altercation, Shahjil Islam threatened, "I will have you picked up from your home. You wretch, you don't know who I am."

After the altercation, SP MLA Shahjil Islam left in his car with his security personnel, leaving Dharmendra at Bareilly station. Subsequently, Dharmendra promptly contacted the police by dialing the emergency number 112. As the incident occurred at the railway station, Dharmendra was directed to the Government Railway Police (GRP) station. The police are now investigating the matter.

Dharmendra has filed a complaint against the SP MLA with the GRP Bareilly. Deputy SP GRP Devi Dayal Singh has confirmed that legal action has been taken against MLA Shahjil Islam. The victim's complaint states that the car had become damp due to dew outside the station at night, which led Shahjeel Islam to label the car as dirty. The accused MLA is now facing charges under sections 323, 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the SC/ST Act.

It's important to note that the history of SP MLA Shahjeel Islam, who stands accused of assaulting his Dalit driver, has been marked by various controversies. In April 2022, Shahajil had made threats against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at an event, stating, "If they open their mouths, bullets will come out of our guns." As a result of this objectionable statement, on April 7, 2022, the administration demolished Shahjil Islam's illegal petrol pump. It should be noted that Shahjeel had received notice of this action two years prior.

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