Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, 4 December, broke his silence on the recent episode of violence that gripped Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr.
Taking on the deteriorating law and order situation under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government, Gandhi said, “Police official Subodh Singh’s death by unruly mob in Bulandshahr is shameful and painful. If this is the condition of police under Modi-Yogi raaj, then how much horror common public must be in.”
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also slammed Adityanath, alleging he was watching a sound and light show in Gorakhpur with his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh when the violence happened on Monday.
“Is This the Change Modi Ji Had Promised?”
"Prime Minister Modi before the 2014 elections used to say repeatedly that we will usher in change and also politics of change. I don't know how much change has come," Sibal said at a press conference.
"But from 2014 till now, we have seen not change, but revenge, not change, but fear, not change, but hidden corruption, not change, but politics over Ram, politics over Hanuman... Is this the change that Modi ji had promised. Look what kind of a change he has brought about in Bulandshahr," he said.
Sibal said state agencies and the CBI cannot be trusted for a probe and, therefore, an investigation under the supervision of a sitting high court judge should be conducted.
In Hyderabad, Union minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi too condemned the incident and termed it inhuman. "It is an inhuman act. Whoever is responsible for the criminal, violent act, stern measures should be taken against them."
In an altercation that spiraled out of control, unruly mob of over 400 people, including right-wing activists, sparred with the police officials on Monday in Siana area of Bulandshahr district, allegedly after right-wing activists were angered by the discovery of cow carcasses strewn in a nearby jungle.
The mob set fire to dozens of vehicles, hurled stones and also fired guns at police who retaliated with gunfire. In the violence, Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, the station house officer of Siana, and 20-year-old Sumit Kumar were killed.
“Bajrang Dal, VHP, RSS Behind This”
Sibal claimed that UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar has alleged that people from Bajrang Dal, VHP, RSS were behind the planned conspiracy and this resulted in the death of Singh.
Expressing grave concern over the law and order situation in UP, Sibal said, "Your police personnel is being killed by those people who are associated with you."
He cited increasing shootouts and killings in UP to stress the "worsening" law and order situation. He alleged that such things are happening wherever the BJP is in power.
Sibal also hit out at Adityanath for giving "poisonous speeches" in Telangana and Rajasthan during poll campaigns.
(With inputs from PTI)
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