Bulandshahr violence: CM Adityanath holds meeting with top officials, orders strict action against culprits; Opposition intensifies attack
Police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh who had probed the Akhlaq lynching and a 20-year-old man Sumit died of gunshot wounds when a mob went on rampage over alleged cow slaughter on Monday.
Amid political furore over killing of two people, including a police inspector and a civilian in the Bulandshahr mob violence, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday night ordered a thorough investigation into the incident. He also issued strict action against those involved in the alleged cow slaughter.
Earlier on Tuesday, CM Adityanath held a meeting in Lucknow with chief secretary, DGP, principal secretary (home) and additional director general of police (intelligence).
After the chief minister's meeting, Additional Chief Secretary (Information) Avinish Awasthi said, "The UP Chief Minister directed (officials) for a thorough probe in the incident. Instructions were also issued to take stringent action against people involved in cow slaughter."
"The incident is part of a bigger conspiracy, and hence all those directly or indirectly related to cow slaughter should be arrested in a time-bound manner," he said.
Adityanath announced Rs 10 lakh financial assistance to the family members of Sumit from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, Awasthi said.
ALSO READ | Was Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh's murder pre-planned?
The police inspector's family has alleged a police conspiracy in his death.
Awasthi said that since March 19, 2017, all illegal slaughterhouses had been closed and instructions were issued to all district magistrates and superintendents of police to ensure that such activities do not take place in any of the districts.
The chief secretary and the DGP have been instructed to ensure that this order is followed at all levels.
Instructions were also issued that a campaign is run to identify those persons who are vitiating the atmosphere and stringent action is initiated against them, Awasthi said.
Meanwhile, the opposition has intensified attack at the BJP and the Yogi government. Targeting PM Modi and CM Adityanath the Opposition alleged that attempts were being made to instigate communal tension ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Leading the charge Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked the government that was this the change PM Modi promised when we ascended to power.
Terming the killing of Police Inspector Subodh Kumar 'shameful', the Congress scion said that if the police is in such a state in Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's rule then how much terror the common man would be feeling.
ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi attacks Centre, asks ‘is this the change PM Modi promised?’; demands inquiry
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal 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.
"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.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi party demanded the resignation of CM Adityanath. SP Spokesperson nil Singh Sajan said that CM Adityanath should resign as "he is unable to manage the state of affairs in the state".
SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said in a statement that when UP was burning in the fire of anarchy, the chief minister was busy seeking votes for his party in other poll-bound states.
"It is like Nero fiddles, when Rome burns," he said.
Alleging that there was a "jungle raj" in the state, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and former UP chief minister Mayawati accused the BJP of "patronising" unscrupulous elements and stressed on the need to establish a rule of law in the state.
Amid an all-out attack by opposition parties, senior BJP leader and Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi termed the incident as "inhuman" and said stern action would be taken against accused.
Police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh who had probed the Akhlaq lynching and a 20-year-old man Sumit died of gunshot wounds when a mob went on rampage over alleged cow slaughter on Monday.
Meanwhile, four people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence and were hunting for a Bajrang Dal activist named Yogesh Raj.
A video emerged on Tuesday showing a young man with his hand over a bleeding wound near the abdomen, being helped by other people as they all run. Someone is heard saying the man has been shot.
The National Human Rights Commission issued notices to the state government and the director general of police over the incident