ON the eve of bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, BJP MLA Sangeet Singh Som has announced a mahapanchayat to protest against love jihad, the alleged rise in eve-teasing incidents and cow slaughter. While the mahapanchayat will be held in his assembly constituency of Sardhana in Meerut district, Som has called a meeting of his supporters to decide the date.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Som alleged, Love jihad is being done in a planned manner with the involvement of terror outfits... It will be a major issue of discussion at the mahapanchayat because such incidents have increased in the last few years.

Stating that he expects at least one lakh people from across western UP to attend the mahapanchayat, he said it will be a forum to raise and discuss such issues in democratic manner.

Youth from a particular community are involved in eve-teasing Hindu girls. The situation is so bad that girls cannot move out freely. Such incidents are on the rise, alleged Som. He claimed nearly 400 people met him on Saturday to complain that the police were not taking any action on their complaints of eve-teasing and cow slaughter.

Som was arrested last year on charges of inciting the violence in Muzaffarnagar. He was accused of sharing a video that provoked the mobs and delivering provocative speeches in the riot-hit area. He was recently given Z-plus security cover by the NDA government at the Centre.

Bypolls are scheduled to be held in 11 assembly seats, including four in western UP, and one Lok Sabha seat in the state on September 13.