Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Karhal candidate Satya Pal Singh Baghel has been provided ‘Z’ category security by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources said .

Union Minister of State in Ministry of Law and Justice, Baghel, was accorded the Z category security on February 11, said the MHA source a day after the senior BJP leader’s convoy was attacked with stones and sticks near Attikullapur village in Manipuri district of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday evening.

The BJP has alleged that Samajwadi Party “goons” were behind the incident.

The MHA official told ANI that Baghel was earlier being provided “Y+” armed central security cover.

Baghel is the BJP candidate from the Karhal Assembly seat, from where Samajwadi party president Akhilesh Yadav is also contesting the Uttar Pradesh assembly election.

As per reports, the BJP leader escaped unhurt during the attack. However, the window of a vehicle in Baghel’s convoy was hit by stones and shattered.

The BJP has strongly condemned the attack on Baghel. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister KP Maurya alleged that Samajwadi Party “goons” were behind the incident.

The incident took place in Rahmatullahpur village of Thana Karhal when Baghel was out during campaigning in the area ahead of the second phase of UP Assembly polls and was on his way to Atikullapur village with other party leaders.

There were some people already present outside the village who began pelting stone at Baghel’s cavalcade. A vehicle was damaged in the attack, though the people were not hurt.

The police were informed but by the time they reached the spot, the stone pelters had fled. A case has been registered by the Uttar Pradesh police and the matter is under investigation.