Bhopal: A passenger travelling in the executive coach of the Delhi-Bhopal Vande Bharat Express was allegedly assaulted for declining to exchange his seat with a BJP MLA from Uttar Pradesh. The assailants, who entered the train from Jhansi station, are allegedly linked to MLA Rajeev Singh, who represents Babina constituency near Jhansi.

Eyewitness accounts suggest the incident unfolded after MLA Singh, who boarded coach E-2 from Delhi with his wife Kamli Singh and son Shreyansh Singh, requested fellow passenger Raj Prakash to vacate his window seat (Seat 49) so he could sit with his family. Singh’s allotted seat was number 8, while his wife and son were seated at 50 and 51, adjacent to Raj Prakash.
 

Upon Raj Prakash's refusal to move, the situation escalated. According to passengers, around 15 to 20 individuals entered the coach at Jhansi and brutally assaulted Raj Prakash, leaving him bloodied and with a severely injured nose. The incident left fellow travellers—including children and women—visibly shaken. Several questioned how such an attack could take place on a high-security, premium train like the Vande Bharat, which has been widely promoted by the Prime Minister.

There were reportedly three to four police personnel present at the time of the assault, but witnesses allege they did not intervene. By the time additional railway police arrived, the attackers had already fled the scene.

In response to the controversy, MLA Rajeev Singh issued a video statement denying direct involvement in the assault. He claimed that the passengers seated in 49 and 52 were misbehaving—eating food with their legs stretched out and causing inconvenience to his wife and others. Singh said he requested them to adjust their posture, but they responded with abuse. To avoid further conflict, he said he moved to the gallery area. However, the passengers allegedly followed him, fearing he was summoning help, which further intensified the situation.

Singh also stated that he later got a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) filed against the two passengers at the Jhansi Government Railway Police (GRP) station.

Meanwhile, passengers have called for strict and impartial action against those responsible, stressing that political affiliations should not influence the investigation.