Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi cost a man from Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur his life when a car driver he had entered into a heated political debate with allegedly mowed him down. The driver has been arrested based on CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts.

The incident was reported in Kolahi village under Vindhyachal Police Station in Mirzapur late on Monday evening when the victim, identified as Rajeshdhar Dubey (50), went to attend the wedding function of his nephew.

According to reports, Dubey’s nephew got married in Mirzapur on Sunday. Early Monday morning, after all wedding rituals were wrapped up, Dubey and his associates — Lal Ji Mishra, Dhirendra Kumar Pandey and others — boarded a Bolero which had been hired to ferry guests to and from the venue.

According to the co-passengers, Dubey and the car’s driver entered into a political debate during the journey. It reportedly turned heated when the victim praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also stopped the driver from speaking ill about UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Angered by his political beliefs, the driver allegedly stopped the car and forced Dubey out of the vehicle, following which the victim tried to block the car’s path by standing in front of it.

Things took a violent turn when the driver mowed Dubey down and dragged him around 20 metres. It was only after the other passengers raised an alarm that the driver stopped the vehicle and fled the scene. After a six-hour search, the driver, identified as one Amjad, was arrested.

A case has been registered against the accused on the basis of CCTV footage and statements from other passengers.