The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday transferred Amethi District Magistrate Prashant Sharma, a day after a video on social media showed him allegedly misbehaving with the relative of a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader, The Indian Express reported. In the video, Sharma was seen involved in an altercation with a relative of Vijay Kumar Singh alias Sonu Singh, who was murdered on Tuesday. Singh was the son of BJP leader Shivnayak Singh.
In an official order, the Uttar Pradesh government said Sharma had been put on a wait list. Moradabad Development Authority Vice Chairperson Arun Kumar has been posted as the new district magistrate.
On Wednesday, Sharma tweeted from the Amethi district magistrate handle that “videos can be edited to look like something that is not true and spread to create mischief”. “Not all videos show the full picture,” he added in another tweet.
The tweet included a video statement by Sunil Singh, who Sharma allegedly misbehaved with. “Dear mediapersons, I saw a news on TV channels today where it was being shown that DM Amethi had misbehaved with me,” Sunil Singh said in the video. “Whereas, nothing like this happened. The video being broadcast is an edited video. The DM heard all our problems and he assured us of all the help possible. I have personal relations with the DM for several years.”
The incident took place outside the hospital in Amethi, where Sonu Singh’s autopsy was being carried out. An agitated group of people had gathered outside the facility.
BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday tweeted: “We should always try to be sensitive and polite. We are servants of the people, not rulers.” Irani represents Amethi in Parliament.
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