LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak on Thursday attacked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over the Sultanpur encounter issue, saying, “The SP always protects criminals.”
Addressing a press conference at his official residence in Lucknow on Thursday, Pathak said, “Ever since the BJP government has been formed in Uttar Pradesh, the law-and-order situation has improved, and the morale of criminals has been dashed. Our government is committed to adopting a zero-tolerance policy on crime and corruption in the state, and we have also mentioned this in our manifesto. The Samajwadi Party has been protecting criminals involved in the broad daylight dacoity at a jeweller’s shop in Sultanpur.”
“The police have thoroughly investigated the Sultanpur incident, gathered information and facts, and initiated action by tracking the mobile locations of the wanted individuals based on CCTV footage. They identified and investigated the suspects, resulting in one criminal being killed during an encounter, while others were caught,” he said.
Pathak said that whether it was the Sultanpur incident or any other incident in the state, the Samajwadi Party had always supported criminals. The Samajwadi Party had not spoken a single word in support of the jeweller who was targeted in the crime, but they had openly supported criminals based on caste.
“Our government is committed to the fact that a criminal is a criminal, and a criminal does not belong to any caste. The Samajwadi Party is making unsuccessful attempts to mislead the public by holding press conferences. However, the people of the state know that the Samajwadi Party thrives on criminals whenever it has been in power,” the deputy CM added.
Recalling incidents during the SP regime, he said, “We still remember when the goons of Lohia Vahini drove a vehicle in the Hazratganj area with a police officer hanging on the bonnet. The Badaun incident made headlines everywhere, and the Samajwadi Party has still not been able to address it. No one will forget the Jawahar Bagh incident in Mathura, where our police officers attained martyrdom. It is due to the patronage of the Samajwadi Party that, whenever they form the government, the morale of criminals increases. The SP should also explain how many people were killed during the Muzaffarnagar riots.”
{{/usCountry}}Recalling incidents during the SP regime, he said, “We still remember when the goons of Lohia Vahini drove a vehicle in the Hazratganj area with a police officer hanging on the bonnet. The Badaun incident made headlines everywhere, and the Samajwadi Party has still not been able to address it. No one will forget the Jawahar Bagh incident in Mathura, where our police officers attained martyrdom. It is due to the patronage of the Samajwadi Party that, whenever they form the government, the morale of criminals increases. The SP should also explain how many people were killed during the Muzaffarnagar riots.”
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