Akhilesh Yadav visits BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal injured in effigy fire
Synopsis
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav crossed party lines on Tuesday, visiting BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal at Medanta Hospital after she suffered burn injuries while burning his effigy. The gesture — and his earlier sardonic quip — spotlights the volatile intersection of protest politics and personal safety that the Women's Reservation Bill debate has ignited.
Key Takeaways
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav visited BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal at Medanta Hospital, Lucknow on 28 April .
Jaiswal sustained burn injuries to her forehead and hair while burning an effigy of Yadav during a BJP protest.
The protest was against the INDIA bloc's opposition to the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha.
BJP District Vice President Rahul Rai said the effigy may have been stuffed with excessive petrol , causing the sudden fireball.
Yadav posted a message on X calling for "showers of harmony" and distinguishing politics from human relationships.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday, 28 April visited BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal at Medanta Hospital, Lucknow, where she is undergoing treatment for burn injuries sustained while burning an effigy of Yadav during a protest against the defeat of the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. The visit, which Yadav shared on social media platform X, drew widespread attention for its display of cross-party civility amid a charged political moment.
How the Incident Unfolded
Jaiswal, who represents the Bahraich constituency, was leading a BJP-organised demonstration against the INDIA bloc for opposing the women's quota bill. Effigies of both Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were being set ablaze as part of the protest. The situation turned dangerous the moment Jaiswal lit a matchstick, triggering what eyewitnesses described as a sudden explosion inside the effigy.
BJP District Vice President Rahul Rai stated that the effigy may have been stuffed with excessive petrol, causing a sudden fireball that struck the MLA's face. Her forehead and hair caught fire, and party workers present at the scene immediately intervened to douse the flames. She was subsequently rushed to hospital in a police vehicle.
Akhilesh Yadav's Response
Yadav had earlier reacted to the incident by sharing a video on X, remarking:
Point of View
Where improvised props and volatile materials create genuine safety risks. More substantively, the Women's Reservation Bill row signals that quota politics remains a live fault line heading into state election cycles, with both the ruling alliance and the opposition calculating their optics carefully.
NationPress
4 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal burning an effigy of Akhilesh Yadav?
Jaiswal was leading a BJP protest against the INDIA bloc, which had opposed the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. As part of the demonstration, effigies of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were being set ablaze.
How was Anupama Jaiswal injured?
Jaiswal suffered burn injuries to her forehead and hair when the effigy she was lighting caught fire unexpectedly. BJP District Vice President Rahul Rai said the effigy may have been stuffed with excessive petrol, causing a sudden fireball.
Why did Akhilesh Yadav visit the BJP MLA who was burning his effigy?
Yadav visited Jaiswal at Medanta Hospital, Lucknow to wish her a swift recovery. In a post on X, he said politics has its own place but human relationships have their own importance, describing the visit as part of his party's tradition of positive politics.
What did Akhilesh Yadav say about the incident?
Yadav made two public statements — an initial sardonic post on X saying 'Fire lighters, be cautious!' and calling for proper medical treatment, followed by a more conciliatory message after his hospital visit, in which he said he wanted 'showers of harmony' to prevail in society.
What is the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill?
The Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill seeks to reserve a quota of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Its defeat in the Lok Sabha prompted the BJP to organise protests against the INDIA bloc parties, including the SP and Congress, which had opposed it.
