Shrikant Tyagi case: 'I faced him for us,' says woman abused and assaulted by self-proclaimed BJP leader

A day after the arrest of politician Shrikant Tyagi, the woman whom he had abused and assaulted at a housing complex in Noida, said that she stood for the people of their society, reported News18.

Elaborating on the incident that took place last week, the woman told News18: “That day, I just went to the lawn area and asked the gardener why he was putting these plants here. After a few minutes, Tyagi came and started arguing with me. I wasn’t even talking to him. But whatever happened, you all saw, but I faced it.”

Responding to the charges that she was targeting a particular community, the woman wondered why would she have a problem with any community, and that some people were “unnecessarily trying to divert the issue.”

“I don’t know. I too have a family… The society residents and the RWA will look after (the matter). I faced Tyagi for us (residents). I had never talked to him,” she said when asked if she feared repercussions after Tyagi’s arrest. 

Meanwhile, a video has surfaced purportedly showing Tyagi confessing it was a mistake to assault a woman and calling her his “sister”. The video surfaced online after his arrest of Tuesday, but is likely to have been made before that.

Tyagi was arrested Tuesday morning from Meerut, four days after he absconded assaulting and abusing a woman with whom he had a row over planting of trees in what has alleged to be the common area of the society. Both, Tyagi and the woman, live in Grand Omaxe society located in Noida Sector 93B.

Tyagi was remanded to a 14-day judicial custody and lodged into the jail Tuesday night after he was booked under the Gangsters Act, among others, according to officials.

"She is a woman and she is like my sister. Certainly it was a mistake on my part and I do realise it. If she thinks I should apologise to her, then I can do it," Tyagi is allegedly heard saying in the video.

"Whatever I said in rage to her I realised later that such language should not be used against anyone in life," he added.

He then says that the palm trees -- which were at the centre of the spat that broke out on Friday -- were being planted in the lawn in front of his ground floor apartment.

The apartment was purchased at an extra 5-6 per cent cost under the preferred location charge system by the builder of Grand Omaxe society, Tyagi claimed.

Until he went underground Friday night, Tyagi claimed to be the national executive member of the BJP's Kisan Morcha and the national co-coordinator of its Yuva Samiti, even as the ruling party denied any links with him.

The Opposition has also mounted an attack on the BJP over the issue, sharing pictures allegedly of Tyagi with senior saffron party leaders, including its national president J P Nadda.