The spokesman of the organisaiton Shabnam Hasmi said the incident might have been a fallout from the groups' criticism of the performance of the BJP government through its ongoing street plays titled Teen Terah Ka Chakkar.

 While their group was returning from Raniganj and was about to reach the Bans Mandi crossing, a Tata Sumo and Tata Safari, with the BJP flags intercepted their vehicle. According to Hasmi four men dressed as security guards came out of the cars dragged out the driver Kishan Lal and assaulted him. The group, numbering about 13 artistes had already cancelled their performance as their programme coincide with a election meeting of the chief minister Kalyan Singh.

When the artistes sitting inside the jeep tried to protest they were also dragged out of it and beaten up by the BJP MLC’s henchmen, Hasmi alleged .She alleged the security guards were led by the controversial MLC himself who was hurling abuses at the group members. Hasmi allied that a subinspector who was in uniform also assaulted the artistes.

The group had been performing in the state capital for the last three days and had already stated more than a dozen streetplays during this period, she said. They had preformed three pays in the Lucknow yesterday.

Hasmi maintained that the attack on the group was not spontaneous but pre-planned .She alleged the artiste had been boldly highlighting the BJPs complete failure during the last seventeen months though the streetplays. The group had already distributed a number of posters in the city, highlighting the dark times under the saffron brigade.

The attack has not deterred us and we would not be canceling our engagements, maintained Hasmi. The group would be staying her till September 27 she said. A FIR was later lodged against the assailants. The news of the attack was widely reported in the local papers here today.

Meanwhile today academics and artists here orgainsed a protest condemning the saffron brigade for the attack. They have called upon the artists community and demoractic movement and citizens to raise their voice against this barbaric but characterictis behavior of the Sangh parivar.

Sahmat and Lucknow based artistes and scholars have said in a statement that his incident in Vajpayees constuece exposes the hollow and bogues claims of the liberal image of Vajpayee. Sahmat has also expressed its decision to continued with its programme.