The BJP’s identity politics appears to have blown up on its face in Uttar Pradesh with influential communities protesting the arrest of a Noida politician accused of assaulting and verbally abusing a woman, forcing the ruling party to launch a damage-control drive.

The Tyagi community, an affluent Brahmin sub-caste, is up in arms against the BJP, a party it has supported for long, after the arrest of Noida politician Shrikant Tyagi. Groups from the Rajput and Gurjar communities have come forward to support the Tyagis and vent their ire at the BJP.

Shrikant, who had been seen in viral videos pushing and abusing a woman who had told him to remove encroachments from the common area of an apartment at the Omaxe Society in Noida, was arrested on August 9 after the BJP denied any link with him, police mounted a “challenging” three-day search and he was booked under the Goonda Act by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.

Mahesh Sharma, the BJP MP from Noida who had played an active role in getting Shrikant arrested and was among the leaders who said the party had no links with him, has issued a letter sympathising with the arrested politician’s family and clarifying that he had never spoken against the Tyagi community.

Shrikant claims to be a national executive member of the BJP Kisan Morcha and coordinator of the BJP Yuva Kisan Samiti.

The letter by Sharma, a former Union minister, has failed to cut ice with the Tyagis, who burnt his effigy in Noida on Tuesday and demanded his arrest “because he was behind the plight of the family”.

Sharma had written in the letter in Hindi, issued two days ago: “Some people are spreading rumours on social media that I speak against a particular community. I am hurt to hear such things…. People here have risen above caste and community to bless me. I am in this city for the last 39 years and never did politics of religion, caste and community. I want to say in the present matter that I have sympathy for the family of Shrikant Tyagi. The Tyagi community has always been the BJP’s and my supporters and I have never spoken a word against them….”

The letter sought to clarify why Sharma took action: “I received a call from my senior colleague and Meerut MP, Rajendra Agrawal, that the victim woman of Omaxe Society is his relative and he expects her to get some help.”

“Realising the seriousness of the matter, I called additional chief secretary Awanish Awasthi and told him about the incident. I received a call back after three-four minutes informing me that the district magistrate (Suhas L.Y.) and police commissioner (Alok Singh) were reaching there,” Sharma added.

The explanation did little to mollify the Tyagis.

Prateek Tyagi, a community member in Noida, said: “We will organise a mahapanchayat in Noida on August 21 to mount pressure on the BJP to suspend Sharma and Agrawal.”

Bittu Tyagi, a leader of the community in Muzaffarnagar, said: “We, along with many organisations from various castes, are going to organise a mahapanchayat on August 21. Although Shrikant had tendered an apology, he was harassed and arrested. His family members were interrogated at police stations. These MPs have proved through their actions that they are anti-Tyagi.

“We want the BJP to accept that Shrikant is their leader and suspend Sharma and Agrawal. Otherwise, the party should be ready to be thrown out of west Uttar Pradesh in the next elections.”

Tyagi community members held a dharna outside the collectorate in Bijnore on Tuesday demanding action against Sharma and the police officers who “harassed” Shrikant.

Organisations representing Rajputs and Gurjars have expressed solidarity with the Tyagis in what appears to be an outpouring of collective anger against the BJP regime for unfulfilled promises, alleged police excesses and corruption in the system.

The Rajput Utthan Sena, an organisation of Kshatriyas, has come forward to support the Tyagis. Dhiraj Thakur, state president of the Sena, said on Tuesday: “Sharma had used foul words against the Noida police commissioner when the officer went to Omaxe Society. We want the police to book him and arrest him the way Shrikant was arrested.”

Commissioner Alok Singh is a Rajput.

Shyam Singh Bhati, Noida president of the Akhil Bharatiya Veer Gurjar Mahasabha, has stated in a letter to state director-general of police D.S. Chauhan: “There are videos of Sharma using derogatory words against Noida’s police commissioner. Kindly file a case and take action against the MP.”

On August 13, residents of the Tyagi village of Khai Khera in Muzaffarnagar had forced former BJP MLA Pramod Untwal to leave when he went there to attend a school programme.

After someone posted a video of the protest on social media, Untwal told reporters: “Some youths of the village had come to me and reacted over the Shrikant issue. I asked them to give me an application and I would speak to chief minister Yogi Adityanath about it.”

Residents of Sohanjani Tagan, another Tyagi village in Muzaffarnagar, have put up banners outside the village barring the entry of BJP leaders.

“People from this village had taken part in the freedom struggle. Sohanjani Tagan is a village of the Tyagis. BJP leaders are henceforth banned from entering this village,” the banners read, adding in bold letters: “Boycott the BJP.”