'Frustrated' UP BJP MLA says he feels like 'committing suicide'

SHAHJAHANPUR: Faced with charges of

land grabbing

and his son being accused of rape, Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP legislator

Roshanlal Verma

on Friday accused the Samajwadi Party of conspiring to tarnish his image and said he felt like committing suicide. The three-time BJP MLA from Shahjahanpur's

Tilhar constituency

said he felt "frustrated" and was under "immense mental stress".

"People associated with the Samajwadi Party are levelling baseless allegations against me as part of a conspiracy," Verma told reporters. "These false charges have left me so frustrated that I feel like committing suicide," he said.

Recently, a woman taged a sit-in at the collectorate office here, alleging that she had been raped by the MLA's son Manoj Verma.

The woman claimed she was held captive by Manoj and threatened to immolate herself if denied justice. Another woman accused the MLA of grabbing her land. She, too, staged a protest at the collectorate.

Verma said the Samajwadi Party had a problem with him as he had represented the Tilhar assembly seat for three consecutive terms.

"The SP supporters are not able to digest this and are out to level such allegations to tarnish my image...I have asked the DM and the SP to get these charges probed to bring out the truth," he said.