Noida (UP), Apr 4 (PTI) He adopted their village, represents them in the Lok Sabha after they broke tradition to vote for him, but Union minister Mahesh Sharma is now strictly persona non grata in Kachera with slogans and posters making it abundantly clear he's not welcome any more
The protests, which started following a standoff with a realty group and spilled into anguish over the lack of development in their area, have been going for the last six months come rain, winter or summer and show no signs of abating.
In October 2018, violent protests in Kachera village in western Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddh Nagar area bordering the national capital led to 86 locals being arrested after a standoff with a realty group.
The resentment still burns, deep and strong.
The demonstrations since have been constant with about two dozen men and women, young and old, intermittently raising slogans against their Lok Sabha MP.
A poster declaring Kachera Varsabad, Mahesh Sharma ke god liye gaon mein BJP walon ka aana sakhta mana hai (This is Kachera. The BJP's people are not allowed in this village adopted by Mahesh Sharma) is hung on a wall near their protest site and similar signages are seen at various entry points of the village.
But the anger is directed primarily against Sharma, who they blame not just for the realty group reneging on its promises but also for the many ills that hinder their development.
Slogans like Modi tujhse bair nahi, Mahesh Sharma ki khair nahi (Modi, we are not against you, but Mahesh Sharma will not be spared) can be heard every now and then.
In 2014, Kachera, which has around 4,500 votes, broke away from tradition in the Nagar community dominated region with 27 villages and voted for Sharma, a Brahmin...
