Are encounters based on caste in UP? Are only Yadav criminals being killed in Yogi Raj? See the list of accused

UP News: Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has recently raised questions about an encounter, which has created a stir in the state politics.

Who are the 183 accused killed in encounter in UP?

UP News: Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has recently raised questions about an encounter , which has created a stir in the state's politics. On September 5, at 9:15 am, he tweeted on the social media platform X and targeted the encounter of the main accused Mangesh Yadav, who was killed in the Sultanpur robbery case. Akhilesh Yadav wrote in his tweet, "It seems that the ruling party had deep contact with the people involved in the Sultanpur robbery, that is why before the fake encounter, the 'main accused' was contacted and made to surrender and other people from the party were shot at the feet only for show and were killed by looking at their 'caste'." After this tweet, there was an upheaval in the politics of Uttar Pradesh, because he accused casteism in the encounter.

Dispute between Samajwadi Party and Yogi Government on encounter

After this incident, a huge political dispute has started between the SP and the Yogi government. The Samajwadi Party claims that fake encounters are taking place in Uttar Pradesh under the Yogi Adityanath government and the police is killing criminals on the basis of their caste. This allegation of Akhilesh Yadav particularly points towards encounters against backward castes, Dalits and Muslims. The SP chief accused the government that no action is being taken against criminals of his caste, while the police is being extremely strict against backward castes and minorities.

Status of encounters from 2017 to 2023

To get to the bottom of this matter, Crimetak did research on the encounters that took place from 2017 to 2023. According to this research, since Yogi Adityanath took over as the Chief Minister, 183 criminals have been encountered in Uttar Pradesh till now. This list includes encounters of criminals from all major castes. According to the data, the largest number of these encounters are of Muslim criminals. After this comes the number of Brahmin and Thakur criminals. Jat, Gurjar, Yadav, and Dalit criminals are also mentioned in this list, who are in third to sixth place. Apart from this, the police and STF have also encountered some tribal, Sikh and backward class criminals.

Who are the 183 accused killed in encounter in UP?

• muslim 61
• brahmin 18
• Thakur 16
• Jats and Gujjars 15
• Yadav 14
• Dalit 13
• Tribal 03
• Sikh 02
• OBC 07
• Other 34

These figures make it clear that encounters are not limited to criminals of a particular caste. Action has been taken against criminals of all castes - Brahmin, Thakur, Yadav, and Jat. Meanwhile, the Yogi government is seeing these encounters as its success in moving towards its goal of crime-free Uttar Pradesh, while the Samajwadi Party and Congress are considering it an opportunity to question the government's policies. This case has also raised the question as to how the people of Uttar Pradesh view these encounters. Do they consider it a victory of justice or do they see it as police arbitrariness?

Statement of DGP Prashant Kumar

Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar has responded to the questions raised about the encounters. He rejected the allegations made by Akhilesh Yadav and other critics and said that the police takes action impartially without any kind of caste discrimination. The DGP also said that those who have faced these situations know what happens at the time of firing. He claimed that the police conduct encounters only in necessary situations and it is wrong to term it as fake.

The equation of encounter and the politics of Uttar Pradesh

Encounters have become an important issue in Uttar Pradesh politics, and the matter is no longer limited to law and order. It has become the center of debate about casteism, social justice, and government policies. Opposition parties like the SP and the Congress are seeing this as an important opportunity to corner the Yogi government, while the government is presenting it as its efforts to strengthen law and order. Amidst this controversy, questions will remain about public opinion and the fairness of these encounters.