In Gayatri’s arrest, BJP pats its back

LUCKNOW: Addressing an election rally in the last phase of assembly polls, state BJP chief Keshav Prasad Maurya said that the absconding rape-accused UP minister Gayatri Prajapati would be behind bars the moment his party’s government won the election.

Prajapati’s arrest four days after BJP’s win has now come in handy for the party to declare its intent about controlling crime in the state and establishing the rule of law.

“We had said that criminals would be behind bars. BJP won’t compromise with law and order. That is why a minister who was on the run in the Samajwadi Party government was promptly arrested as soon as BJP came to power,” Keshav Prasad Maurya told HT.

Not only Maurya but BJP national president Amit Shah had also asserted that BJP would leave no stones unturned in finding Prajapati and putting him behind bars.

“As soon as BJP forms the government in UP on March 11, we will search (Gayatri Prasad) Prajapati even from hell and send him to jail,” Shah had said.

The BJP’s Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra or manifesto talks about arresting all absconding criminals within 45 days of the party assuming power.

Inside sources said that soon after the swearing in ceremony, the BJP government would direct police to go after criminals. “Several changes will also be implemented in the police. We will bring in officers who are effective and have a proven track record,” said a party source.

BJP MPs Sakshi Maharaj and Yogi Adityanath said that in the BJP government there would be ‘zero tolerance’ policy towards crimes and criminals.

“How come a minister accused of rape charges and who was evading the police since February 27 suddenly got arrested after BJP’s victory? We will restore the pride of the police force that got lost during the Samajwadi Party rule,” said UP BJP general secretary, Vijay Bahadur Pathak.

We had said that criminals would be behind bars. BJP won’t compromise with law and order. That is why a minister who was on the run in the SP government was promptly arrested as soon as BJP came to power KESHAV PRASAD MAURYA , state BJP chief