A BJP MLA had unwittingly filed an FIR against a leader of the party’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), in Bahraich for spreading violence but now wants police to exercise caution while investigating the case.

Sureshwar Singh, BJP MLA from Mahasi, had filed a complaint against Arpit Srivastava at Mahasi police station on October 14 for allegedly trying to malign the Uttar Pradesh government on the issue of law and order.

Arpit, the BJYM president of Bahraich, and his friends had staged a dharna in the district with the body of a riot victim on October 14 to demand the immediate arrest of the killers. Ram Gopal Mishra, 24, was killed in the violence in Maharajganj during the immersion procession of a Durga idol at Rehua-Masnoor village on October 13.

Hindus had alleged that Muslims had prevented them from passing through the village while the Muslims had claimed that Mishra and his friends had entered a house with a national flag and misbehaved with the women in the family.

A section of Hindus and Muslims in the district had held protests the next day, alleging that the state government was deliberately creating religious disharmony.

Believing that Arpit was part of a similar protest against the state government in Bahraich and without verifying the details, Singh had filed the complaint.

The lawmaker had on October 14 said the protesters were goons but changed his statement on Wednesday. “Filing an FIR against someone doesn’t mean he is guilty. It is the responsibility of the investigators to find out the accused persons before taking action against them. I am sure the police will observe caution while investigating the case. I didn’t recognise Arpit at that time.”

Refusing to divulge details of the FIR to the reporters, Singh changed the subject to Mohammad Sarfaraz, the main accused in Mishra’s murder case.

The police arrested Abdul Hamid, his sons Sarfaraz and Fahim and two others identified as Mohammad Talib and Sahir Khan on October 17.

“A youth identified as Golu Mishra, who used to work at the house of Hamid, has told the police that his two sons had been cleaning a rifle since the morning of October 13. Sarfaraz was heard saying that he would kill those who played loudspeakers during the procession,” Singh said.

Brijesh Pandey, BJP district president, said: “Some people are trying to vitiate the atmosphere and the Opposition is capitalising on this. As far as the FIR is concerned, the BJP respects its workers. I have discussed Arpit’s issue with the MLA. Everything is fine."