Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 12 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Brajesh Pathak hit out at Samajawadi Party (SP) on Thursday over allegations made by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who accused the BJP government in the state of making Uttar Pradesh the 'capital of fake encounters'.
"Since 2017, law and order in Uttar Pradesh have improved. The general public is living in a fair and fear-free environment," the Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister said, reiterating that the 'job of the government' is to curb crime.
The development comes after Akhilesh Yadav said that the government has targeted most people of Pichde, Dalit & Alpasankhyak (PDA) families in the many encounters.
"In Uttar Pradesh, fingers have been raised on many encounters...The government has targeted most people of PDA families in the many encounters. BJP has made Uttar Pradesh the capital of fake encounters," said Yadav.
Speaking on the recent encounter that took place in Sultanpur, Brajesh Pathak said, "The encounter incident in Sultanpur has led the opposition to raise questions. The opposition is portraying these criminals as their own."
"The criminals who were involved were either killed or arrested in the police encounter," he added.
Attacking the Samajwadi Party, Pathak, went on to say that SP chief did not support the person who was the victim of the crime or murder in the Sultanpur incident.
"Samajwadi Party is claiming that the encounters are being conducted based on caste" Brajesh Pathak said, clarifying that the police have conducted a serious investigation, gathered evidence, and arrested the criminals.
"In the Sultanpur robbery incident, the police arrested the criminals, and one was killed in an encounter and more than two and a half kilogrammes of gold have been recovered from the criminals" Brajesh Pathak added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also slammed the BJP government over alleged encounters in the state.
"The encounter of Mangesh Yadav in Sultanpur has once again proved that the BJP does not believe in the 'Rule of Law'. Professional forces like STF are being run like 'criminal gangs' under the BJP government, the silence of the Central government on this is their clear agreement on this 'thoko policy'. Dozens of encounters of UP STF are under question. Has any action been taken against any of those officers till date? After all, who is saving them and why. Touching the Constitution in front of cameras is just a pretence when your own governments are openly tearing it to pieces," Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on X. (ANI)
