An old video of Bhadohi BJP MLA Ramesh Chand Bind boasting about his unlawful activities has resurfaced on the Internet. Bind had delivered the provocative speech during a function organised at a school in the Sagarpur area of Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, in September 2018. At that point, Bind was a part of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
The clip shows him recounting a 2006 incident when the people of the Bind community burned down a police station in Mirzapur to avenge the death of a member of their group, who died while in police custody. He further goes on to threaten the Brahmin community.
"When one of the members of our Bind community was killed by the Mirzapur police, we burned down an entire police station. If the Brahmins will hurt a Bind, we will be hurting them back," the former BSP MLA can be heard saying in the video.
ये हैं भदोही से भाजपा सांसद रमेश बिंद, बता रहे हैं कैसे पुलिस वाले को ज़िंदा जला दिया, कैसे थाना जलवा दिया। मैं न्याय व्यवस्था की हालत देख कर इतना लाचार हूँ, कि उम्मीद भी नहीं करता कि इस अपराधी पर कोई कार्यवाही करेगी सरकार। pic.twitter.com/3f0IgvLUx1
— Surya Pratap Singh IAS Rtd. (@suryapsingh_IAS) July 10, 2020
Ramesh Bind alleged that the clip was doctored
The video had come into the limelight in April 2019, after Ramesh Bind had joined the BJP. The three-time MLA from Majhawan seat in Mirzapur district had been with the BSP for 18 long years but was expelled from the party in February 2019. He switched to the saffron party a month later in March.
Following outrage over the controversial speech, an FIR was filed against Ramesh Bind. The video also caused a lot of embarrassment to other BJP leaders as Brahmans constitute a major chunk of the party's vote bank.
During the probe, Ramesh Bind alleged that the clip of his speech was edited. "That video clip of my speech was doctored. The section of society I am accused of having insulted is actually the section that we all worship," he said.
However, Kalu Singh, Circle Officer, Gyanpur (Bhadohi), who conducted the probe, confirmed that the clip was authentic. "I scanned the video in which Ramesh Chand Bind is seen giving the speech. I collected details from local people and found that he actually made the statements at a function organised by the Bhadohi district unit of Akhil Bharatiya Bind Mahasabha at an intercollege on September 16, 2018."
