A BJP worker has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a Dalit engineer inside his office in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Sunday (August 24), according to a PTI report.

A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows Lal Singh, the electricity department’s superintending engineer, being attacked.

According to the police, the assault took place on Saturday.

“In his complaint, Lal Singh stated that a man named Munna Bahadur, along with some unidentified individuals, entered his office without permission. They allegedly used caste-based slurs and abusive language before assaulting him with kicks, punches, and a shoe,” Superintendent of Police Omveer Singh told PTI.

The attackers also allegedly tore important official files and threatened to kill Singh and his family if he lodged a police report.

The video clip circulating online captures a heated exchange between Singh and a group of men, which escalates into the officer being physically assaulted.

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav posted the video on social media with the remark: “The meaning of power is not to torment.”

Before his arrest, Munna Bahadur told reporters that he had only gone to the engineer’s office to submit a memorandum about power-related problems in his locality. He alleged that it was Singh who used abusive language against him and that he himself had been attacked and injured.

Police have booked Bahadur and his associates under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

“We have arrested Munna Bahadur, and an investigation is underway. Appropriate legal action will be taken against anyone else found to be involved,” SP Omveer Singh said.

BJP’s district president Sanjay Mishra confirmed that Bahadur is a party worker and a former office-bearer. Mishra added that he is in talks with Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh and other senior party leaders to decide the BJP’s course of action on the matter.