Yogi justifies law, order push, says it’s must for investments
LUCKNOW: Day after a notice to the UP government by the National Human Rights Commission on spurt in police encounters in UP, chief minister Yogi Adityanath brought a subtle change in his election campaign speeches for urban local body polls, preferring to talk more about the “poor law and order situation under Samajwadi Party rule”.
Before the NHRC slammed the spurt in police encounters, Adityanath, who has been campaigning extensively for the civic polls, had been regularly talking of how under his party’s rule the police had been going after the criminals.
“So far, over 1200 police encounters have taken place with criminals. Nearly 1100 criminals are behind bars and more than 800 have fled the state. In addition, another 500 have got their bail cancelled as they now feel that jail is better than staying outside,” Adityanath had been saying in his election rallies so far. But on Thursday he appeared to use the election stage to explain the need for ‘drastic measures.’
“We inherited poor law and order, gundaraj and complete lawlessness from the previous government. The traders were fleeing the state and the jobless youths were confused. That is why improvement in law and order was a must,” he said in his election rallies in Lucknow.
“Hame bade kadam uthane pade (we had to take some drastic measures),” Adityanath said without elaborating on what the drastic measures were.
Improving law and order in the state was among BJP’s key election promises in the 2017 assembly polls that the party won eight months back.
Adityanath also said “improved law and order” would usher in investment and added it would ensure jobs to 10 lakh youths.
“The new industrial policy we have worked out as well as the investments we are hopeful of getting would soon see things change in the state. Good law and order is necessary for attracting big investment,” Adityanath said at the rallies that also featured party’s state chief Mahendra Nath Pandey and UP minister Swati Singh.
On the NHRC notice, BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi said, “Police encounters have terrorised criminals but the opposition parties are suddenly seeing human rights. The biggest human rights are those of civilians, not criminals.”