Two men intruded into the residence of Independent MP Pappu Yadav on Sunday (August 2, 2026) and one of them hurled a slipper at him when he was addressing a press conference.

While his supporters alleged that one assailant was also carrying a knife, Opposition leaders targeted the Delhi police for failing to ensure the safety of a parliamentarian.

At the press conference, Mr. Yadav countered the allegations levelled against him for staging a skit on the Ram Temple donation theft in the Parliament complex on July 31.

Referring to the donations case, Mr. Yadav said he had only asked questions about the missing gold and silver. “I have done nothing wrong. It is not as if I am not a Sanatani. Today, we are demanding answers from the Prime Minister regarding the way the faith of the common man has been undermined,” he said.

The incident took place around 6.15 p.m. Standing among the journalists, one of the intruders – later identified as Sumit from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr – hurled a footwear at Mr. Yadav, following which his supporters overpowered him. The police later took him into custody.

Mr. Yadav later told mediapersons: “There has been an ongoing conspiracy to kill me. Several babas have spoken about ‘burning me alive or killing me’ …had so many people not been present, I would have been dead today. Just last night, my family was also harassed.”

On the Varanasi police registering a first information report against him, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad [for the skit], he said: “Rahul Gandhi was never afraid of an FIR; Priyanka Gandhi was never afraid; so how could Pappu Yadav be afraid? If Pappu Yadav has to die to protest the faith of the people of Sanatan and India against those who betray Sanatan and God, I [will] step out every day to face death…”

Major failure, says advocate

In a statement to the media, Mr. Yadav’s advocate Kanishk Arora termed it a major failure of the police, particularly when they were told a day earlier that there was the possibility of anti-social elements resorting to such an act. “Despite informing the police, only two or three personnel were deployed. Even then, this incident occurred, which I strongly condemn. We will initiate legal action,” he said.

The incident provoked sharp reactions from Opposition leaders. Congress MP Pawan Khera criticised the police. “The Delhi police seems remarkably efficient when it comes to repressing students peacefully demanding their constitutional rights. But when it comes to protecting a vocal Opposition leader – even a sitting Member of Parliament – at his own residence, it suddenly falls short,” he said.

He said: “Even since Anurag Kumar took charge as Delhi’s Police Commissioner, the force’s record has gone from bad to worse.”

CPI (M) MP V. Sivadasan also condemned the attack, saying that those who raised questions about the alleged loot of the temple’s money or the money donated by believers were facing attacks by “RSS and BJP persons”. He said huge amounts had been looted allegedly by the members of trust, which was formed by the Modi government. The BJP was also in power in Uttar Pradesh. He alleged that the Union government had been using Central enforcement agencies against the Opposition and now “goons” were also working for them.

Condemning the incident, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC, however, urged Mr. Yadav to desist from making “provocative” statements. “There is no place for aggressive politics, but if you attack Sanatan dharma, if you condemn religious beliefs, there is going to be a backlash. Nobody is propagating violence, but this attack on democracy and public representatives needs to be condemned unequivocally. Pappu Yadav should also think why he makes such kind of provocative statements that attracts reactions in this particular way,” she said.

Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha also denounced the incident. “There is no place for such actions in a democracy. The way Pappu Yadav himself has been conducting himself is objectionable. But, regardless of that, whoever threw the slipper, it is unacceptable,” he said.

Mr. Sumit’s friend Happy Sharma, later told the media that he and Sumit had come from Bulandshahr to Mr. Yadav’s residence to support the sadhus protesting against the MP for “hurting their religious sentiments”. “We only asked him why he was insulting the sadhus and saints, saffron robes, and Lord Ram…slippers were thrown only after they assaulted us…We have done nothing wrong and will do it again if the country’s sadhus, saints, and Lord Ram are insulted, whatever be the consequence,” he said.

The police are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

(with inputs from agencies)

Published – August 02, 2026 09:27 pm IST

Patna:

The Government Railway Police (GRP) at the Patna Junction has registered an FIR against Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav and seven others for their role in blocking railway operations at Sachiwalay Halt on Friday.

The protest, led by Pappu Yadav, aimed to express solidarity with the agitating BPSC candidates demanding the cancellation of the 70th Preliminary examination across Bihar, blocking the railway services at Sachiwalay Halt.

Pappu Yadav and his supporters are facing charges of hindering the smooth functioning of train services and vehicular movement which resulted in inconvenience to the public through the protest.

They have organised demonstrations without the proper permission of the authorities.

Apart from Pappu Yadav, Raju Danveer, Rajiv Mishra, Abhijeet Singh, Faizan Ahmed, Premchand Singh, Suraj Gupta and Purushottam Kumar Singh were booked under the relevant charges at Patna Junction’s GRP police station.

On Friday, Pappu Yadav and his supporters reached the Sachiwalay Halt Railway Station and sat on the railway track for a brief period to stop the train.

The move of Pappu Yadav was a part of his pre-scheduled plan to disrupt the railway operation in support of candidates who have been on a hunger strike for 17 days, demanding the cancellation of the 70th BPSC Combined Preliminary Examination.

The Patna district administration, which is anticipating potential disruptions, has deployed a significant police force at the protest site.

Despite the heavy deployment of the police personnel, Pappu Yadav along with his supporters managed to enter the station premises and sat on the railway tracks.

Pappu Yadav has also vowed to continue the agitation until justice is delivered, including taking the matter to the Supreme Court.

He reaffirmed his commitment to the cause, stating: “We will go to the Supreme Court on this issue. BPSC has done wrong and it has to cancel the entire examination. We will continue to protest on this matter. Our protest will continue in the future until the paper leak in Bihar and the country is stopped.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Pappu Yadav – the gangster-turned-political leader – has been getting death threats, a few apparently from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Now the police have arrested a man, who they say is responsible for that.

Rambabu Yadav, 21, is a resident of Dumriya village and apparently has friends who peddle drugs. In a WhatsApp message on Friday last week, he had threatened to kill the Purnea MP within 24 hours unless he apologised for his remarks on Lawrence Bishnoi.

Though he has claimed to be a part of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, he has no criminal record and his motive in issuing threats is not clear, the police said.

Rambabu was arrested by Purnia Police from a village in Bhojpur district. He has claimed to be a member of Lawrence Bishnoi’s Bihar team.

Rambabu is the son of Rameshwar Rai, a resident of Dumriya village. His mother Geeta Devi is a housewife. The eldest of three siblings, Rambabu dropped out after Class 10 and dived into a life of crime, his mother said. She added that he had left home and was living with drug addicts and peddlers.

Pappu Yadav has received dozens of threats after he publicly vowed to destroy the network of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi after the murder of NCP’s Baba Siddique in Mumbai. The crime is suspected to have been conducted by the Bishnoi gang.

This is the second man to have been arrested for the threats to the Purnia MP. Earlier a man was arrested by the Delhi Police.

Purnia MP Pappu Yadav has once again received a threat from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. His personal secretary, Mohammad Sadiq Alam, has received intimidating WhatsApp messages in Delhi.

Sadiq Alam has lodged an FIR at Connaught Place police station in Delhi, detailing that the messages arrived at 2.25 a.m. and 9.49 a.m. on November 7.

This threat follows a similar one Pappu Yadav received earlier from a person associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, an incident that led to an arrest by Purnia Police.

The message allegedly claimed that “six individuals have been contacted for the murder of Pappu Yadav”.

The individual who sent the threat message even shared an image of a Turkish-made pistol in the WhatsApp chat, and said that this pistol would be used to eliminate Yadav.

Addressing the media in Purnia on Friday, Pappu Yadav expressed frustration, mentioning that this is not the first incident and that he has filed six FIRs in response to repeated threats.

He called for a thorough investigation, questioning the origins of these repeated threats and urging the authorities to ensure his safety.

“We have shared information with senior officials, including the Director General of Police (DGP), the Inspector General (IG), the Superintendent of Police (SP), and even the Home Minister, yet the threats continue unabated. Why the individuals responsible for these threats had not been apprehended, especially when the person making the threats clearly indicated who was backing him,” Pappu Yadav said.

He called for a thorough investigation to uncover whether any political motives or systemic failures were enabling these threats.

Pappu Yadav pointed out that although one arrest had been made in connection with the threats, there were multiple individuals involved who continued to intimidate him.

He mentioned specific individuals, including Mayank Singh, reportedly based in Malaysia, Jharkhand-based Aman Sahu gang, and unidentified persons from Nepal, who have issued threats.

Despite the escalating threats, Pappu Yadav expressed that he remains undeterred. He emphasised his commitment to standing by the truth, stating that he fears no one, when he believes he is in the right.

He urged the administration to act swiftly to resolve the matter, suggesting that any delay in action would only contribute to a troubling climate of impunity for those making such threats.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Deoghar, Jharkhand:

Lok Sabha MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav has written a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking enhanced security after he received a ‘death threat’ allegedly from a member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The Independent MP from Bihar’s Purnia has demanded ‘Z’ security for himself, while currently he only has ‘Y’ level security cover.

He further claimed he made multiple attempts to meet Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding his security but to no avail.

Speaking to ANI, Pappu Yadav said, “I have seen a lot of ups and downs in the fight for social justice. I don’t have any personal fight with anyone. I only talk about issues. It is the prerogative of the government to provide me with security. I am working to serve the public of Jharkhand and Jharkhand Mahagathbandhan alliance.”

“I called Bihar Chief Minister’s private secretary, even his chief secretary, but could not fix a meeting with him. I told them that there have been death threats given to me but my plea fell on deaf ears,” he claimed.

The independent MP further said that he spoke about the matter to the Purnia Director General of Police (DGP), Inspector-General of Police (IG) and Superintendent of Police (SP) regarding this, urging immediate action.

“I tried to meet the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar many times. They are giving security to those people who don’t need any security. I don’t know who is giving me threats. I have spoken to the DG and SP regarding this. Even after getting the threat I went to Mumbai and met Actor Salman Khan and the family of Baba Siddique. The Chief Minister of Bihar is not giving time to people who are not in government. I also spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah for security and have written a letter to him,” he said.

Pappu Yadav allegedly received a death threat from a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, wherein the caller warned the Lok Sabha MP that he would kill him if he didn’t stay away from issues involving Bollywood actor Salman Khan.

After Baba Siddique’s murder, Pappu Yadav travelled to Mumbai and met his son Zeeshan Siddique.

He had also strongly criticised Lawrence Bishnoi and said he could alone deal with him if the law permits.

Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Misa Bharti also reacted to the incident and criticised the Gujarat government and the jail administration.

“I have received information from the media that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi is in jail in Gujarat. This shows the inefficiencies of Gujarat’s jail administration as various threat calls are being given by him from jail. Gujarat Jail authorities should look into it and find out how much truth is there into it. They should inquire about it,” she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Jan Adhikar Party leader Pappu Yadav joined the Congress on Wednesday and announced the merger of his outfit.

A former five-time MP from Bihar, Yadav is the husband of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ranjeet Ranjan and is known for having influence in Seemanchal area of the eastern state.

He was accompanied by his son Sarthak Ranjan and other party leaders as he announced his decision at the AICC headquarters.

जन अधिकार पार्टी के अध्यक्ष, 5 बार के सांसद @pappuyadavjapl का कांग्रेस परिवार में स्वागत है।

देश भर में कांग्रेस पार्टी से नेताओं के जुड़ने का सिलसिला लगातार जारी है। pic.twitter.com/v39s0niZ3N

— Bihar Youth Congress (@IYCBihar) March 20, 2024

Yadav said the Congress leadership gave him respect and he was joining the party’s fight against “dictatorship” in the country to help save democracy and the Constitution.

“The honour that the entire Congress family has given is enough for us. Both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra have given us a lot of love.

“If anyone has won the hearts of people in India, it is Rahul Gandhi and people love him. He has also raised the concerns of OBCs by raising the issue of holding a caste census,” he said.

“To save this country and its democracy and protect the Constitution, there was no other way except joining Rahul Gandhi’s fight,” he said.

Mohan Prakash, in-charge of Congress affairs in Bihar, was also present.

“We will win the 2024 Lok Sabha and certainly 2025 assembly elections. I thank my national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

“I will struggle to strengthen the Congress and work with all my might in this regard,” Yadav also said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)