Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday visited BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal at Medanta Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment after sustaining burn injuries while burning his effigy during a protest over the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill's defeat in the Lok Sabha.
Jaiswal, who represents Bahraich, was injured during a demonstration organised by the BJP against the INDIA bloc for opposing the women's quota bill. She suffered burns to her face when an effigy of Akhilesh Yadav caught fire unexpectedly during the protest.
Sharing details of his visit in a post on X, Akhilesh Yadav said: "We do not want fire to erupt among the people of society. We want showers of harmony to prevail in society. The healthy tradition of our positive politics has taught us exactly this. That is why we went to meet BJP MLA Smt. Anupama Jaiswal ji and returned after wishing her a swift recovery."
"Politics has its own place, and the importance of human relationships has its own place. May goodwill endure, may harmony endure!" he added. The incident occurred when effigies of Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were being set ablaze under the leadership of MLA Jaiswal as part of the protest.
The situation turned dangerous the moment the MLA lit a matchstick, triggering a sudden explosion inside the effigy. BJP District Vice President Rahul Rai stated that the effigy may have been stuffed with excessive petrol, which led to a sudden fireball that struck the MLA's face.
As a result, Jaiswal's forehead and hair caught fire. Party workers present at the spot immediately intervened and extinguished the flames before she was rushed to the hospital in a police vehicle for treatment. Earlier, reacting to the incident by sharing a video on X, Akhilesh Yadav had remarked: "Fire lighters, be cautious! Proper arrangements should be made for the treatment of the woman who set the fire."