‘Not even minister heard’: Sanjay Nishad protests worker’s death in Lucknow, Opposition joins

Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad staged a sit‑in protest at the mortuary of King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow on Thursday night, demanding swift action over the death of party worker Vinod Sahani. The protest was joined by opposition leaders who accused the state government of ignoring even a minister’s grievance.

According to the Gonda police, Sahani was attacked with sticks on Wednesday evening, sustaining severe injuries that led to his death at KGMU on Thursday. The autopsy found no bullet or knife wounds, contradicting earlier claims of a gun‑or‑knife attack. Three accused, identified as belonging to the upper caste, were arrested, and three police personnel – the Parsapur SHO, the Shahpur outpost in‑charge, and a constable – were suspended for dereliction of duty. Gonda Superintendent of Police Abhishek said the victim had posted controversial content about Hindu deities on social media, which allegedly provoked the assault.

Sahani, a member of the Nishad community, had filed a complaint on September 9, prompting an FIR and a medical examination before being referred to KGMU. Nishad called for immediate arrests, disciplinary action against the police, a government job for the victim’s family, and even suggested a harsh punitive response against the accused. The incident has revived concerns within the Nishad community about being targeted in criminal cases and encounters, highlighting broader tensions over caste, law enforcement accountability, and political protest in the state.