Yogi Adityanath wants to check alleged cow slaughter. What about mob violence?
In a conversation with former DGP Anand Banerjee and Senior Journalist Sharat Pradhan, Bloomberg Quint attempts to decode the government's response to the Bulandshahr violence.
While the chief minister has announced punishment for cow slaughter and illegal trade, he has not done much about the killing of an inspector apart from announcing compensation for the family members.
Data shows that nearly 70 percent of the incidents of cow-related violence in Uttar Pradesh have taken place after Yogi Adityanath took charge as the state’s chief minister. According to the statistics, 21 attack and 4 deaths in bovine-related incidents surfaced in 2018.
There has been a consistent spike in the incidents of violence triggered by rumours of cow slaughter in the recent past, bordering on a menace in the state.
In addition to this, a swirl of information and videos have spread like forest fire in the last 48 hours after violence shook Bulandshahr.
Planned Conspiracy, Says Former DGP
Anand Banerjee, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Police, said that the incident is evidently choreographed, as attested by the state authorities.
“The entire incident and the way it took place, this must have been brewing for some time, and it seems that there was a plan behind this. A larger conspiracy behind the violence has been hinted at by the DGP and the CM. If there was a conspiracy, it should be put to rest,” Banerjee said.
Senior journalist Sharat Pradhan highlighted that things are going out of hand for the simple reason that the cops are invariably scared of taking action against the hardline right-wingers in Uttar Pradesh.
“After Yogi came into place (power) in Uttar Pradesh, they have gone berserk,” Pradhan said, explaining the current law and order situation in the state.
“They think they can get away with murder. They have manhandled policemen, beaten up cops, and BJP allies have ransacked the office of SSP. They are so emboldened and they know that someone at the top will extend all kinds of patronage, and they are vitiating it,” Pradhan said.
(This story was originally published on BloombergQuint.)
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