SP expels leader for 'anti-party activities' amid Fatehpur 200-year-old tomb vandalism row

Samajwadi Party leader Pappu Singh Chauhan was expelled from the party on Tuesday following his involvement in the controversy surrounding a 200-year-old mausoleum located inside the Eidgah in Fatehpur district, Uttar Pradesh. Chauhan’s name was included in an FIR filed after an attempt to vandalize the mausoleum, which became the center of a temple–mosque dispute. Hindu groups claimed the site was originally a temple and forcibly entered the premises on Monday, leading to clashes.

According to the FIR, a group of about 160 individuals led by several political figures, including Pappu Chauhan, attempted to damage the mausoleum at Mangi Maqbara in Abunagar. The protesters were armed with flags, sticks, and rods, and sought to assert their claim that the site should be recognized as a Thakur Dwara temple. The march was organized by the Math Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti. Local authorities responded by deploying significant police forces from multiple police stations to maintain law and order.

Following the FIR, the Samajwadi Party’s media cell announced Chauhan’s immediate expulsion for engaging in anti-party activities. The Fatehpur District President of the SP, Surendra Pratap Singh, issued an official letter confirming Chauhan’s removal from the party for his involvement in the incident. The SP also stated that any member acting with a BJP mindset or working against the party’s ideology would face similar consequences.

During discussions in the state assembly on Tuesday, SP leaders held the state government responsible for the unrest in Fatehpur. SP MLA Atul Pradhan said, "the unrest in Fatehpur was not spread by the common people, but the administration and BJP leaders were responsible for it." The government had named Chauhan among the accused in the case, causing embarrassment for the SP.

The FIR named several other individuals, including Dharmendra Singh (Bajrang Dal), Abhishek Shukla (BJP), Ajay Singh (District Panchayat Member), Devnath Dhakad (BJP), Vinay Tiwari (Municipal Councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal (BJP), and Prasoon Tiwari (BJP). The authorities continue to monitor the situation and have taken measures to prevent further escalation at the site.