Two contrasting images about Bahraich came into view on Thursday. In one, two accused Mohammed Talim and Sarfaraz were clearly seen firing bullets at Ramgopal Mishra, the youth who was killed. The other image was of both these youths, Talim and Sarfaraz, limping with a bullet each in their foot, being carried by UP police.
The surprising part is that there are people who are extending support to the killers who are seen in the video firing shots at Ramgopal Mishra, while in the other image, the two killers are admitting on camera that policemen fired bullets at their feet while they were trying to flee.
Yet, political leaders are alleging that this was a "fake encounter" stage-managed by UP police. These leaders are alleging that police committed an illegal act by firing at these two youths. Their allegation is that Yogi Adityanath's government is working on "thoko" (shoot) policy and this policy is being applied only against Muslims.
This is incorrect. If you look at facts and figures, it will be wrong to allege that only Muslims are victims of encounters. Those who died in police encounters during Yogi's regime are Muslims, Brahmins, Thakurs, Yadavs and other backward castes.
Police do not fire by asking names of criminals, or by looking at their religion. What happened in Bahraich was unfortunate. How homes and shops were set on fire after Ramgopal Mishra's murder was also unfortunate.
Let us look at how our politicians reacted. Soon after news came about the encounter, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, the state administration was staging fake encounters to hide its failure in preventing violence in Bahraich. His party's MP Afzal Ansari, brother of a crime don late Mukhtar Ansari, said, 'bantogey, toh katogey' was not a slogan, but a codeword and the consequences are there for all to see.
UP Congress chief Ajay Rai said, fake encounters are being carried out to strike terror in the minds of people. Congress MP Imran Masood demanded why action is being taken only against one community, and not against those who set fire to homes and shops.
Ajmer Sharif Dargah's khadim Sarwar Chishti described Sarfaraz and Talim as innocent and said when Ramgopal Mishra was tearing off an Islamic flag to hoist a saffron Hindu flag, should people throw flowers at him? At least Sarwar Chishti did not say whether police should have thrown flower petals at the killers who killed Mishra.
It is surprising that some politicians are not expressing even sympathy for Ramgopal Mishra, who was killed in cold blood. When violence takes place during a religious procession, politicians raise questions about law and order. When police take time to catch culprits, politicians raise questions about the efficiency of police. If police take strong action against rioters, the same politicians level allegations of injustice. And when police fire bullets at the feet of killers during encounters, they call such encounters as fake. One can realize the political compulsions of such parties.
The five suspects of Bahraich violence who were caught by UP police on Thursday morning were trying to cross over to Nepal. To raise questions about whether the encounter was genuine or fake, is not justified. I think, we should allow the police and courts to perform their duty.
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