Budget Session: Day 2 Adityanath, Akhilesh face off over crime

“Will police stations become the centre of anarchy… Is this the zero tolerance government?… It is hard to imagine the kind of incidents of crime, especially against women, are taking place,” Yadav said, referring to the Prayagraj incident, where an entire family was killed.

Citing a recent incident in Siddharthnagar, Akhilesh asked. “Police dabish karne jati hai ki dabangai karne? (Do police go to conduct raids or for muscle power?).”

Targeting Adityanath, Akhilesh said that the chief minister had said he would set the “officers right” and asked them not to act like “middlemen”. “Panch saal tak dalali chalti rahi, aur neta sadan ko pata nahi chala” (For the last five years, brokerage continued but the Leader of the House did not come to know of it),” Akhilesh said.

Choosing to reply to the former chief minister, Adityanath recalled SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s “boys will be boys” remark on rape.

Opposing the death penalty for rape, Akhilesh Yadav’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav had purportedly said at a rally, “Ladke, ladke hain. Galti ho jati hai (Boys will be boys. Mistakes happen sometimes)”.

Replying to Yadav’s attack on crimes against women, the CM said, “This is the government of the BJP. Here it’s not said that boys will be boys. Mistakes happen sometimes.” Any kind of crime is “unforgivable” and the government is taking strict action against criminals, especially those committing crimes against women, he claimed.

“For crimes related to women, our government constituted anti-Romeo squads in 2017 and along with it in 2018, POCSO courts were established,” he said.

Pointing towards the SP legislators, he alleged that criminals were given patronage and protection by them. “You support every criminal who spreads anarchy in the state and practices hooliganism,” he said.

Claiming a reduction in crime under his government, Adityanath said that had the Opposition members listened to the Governor’s address, things would have been clear to them. “When I will reply to the Governor’s address, you will clearly know how much crime has come down,” he said.

Adityanath also said that the law and order situation was best in Uttar Pradesh, adding “there has been no curfew, no riots” in the past five years.

“During Ram Navami, riots were reported from many states, but there was not a single incident of riot in Uttar Pradesh… Over 1 lakh people have either removed loudspeakers or have reduced their volume following an appeal of the government. No “Alvida ki Namaz” were performed on roads and Eid was celebrated peacefully… All these could have happened earlier if things were not looked at from the perspective of vote banks,” the CM added.
Adityanath said property worth more than Rs 2,000 crore from criminals was confiscated in UP. “So, whether it is a matter of women’s safety or the safety of 25 crore citizens, all these are on a priority for the government,” he said.
Appreciating his government, he said in the past five years, better law and order has prevailed. “We got wide public support,” he said referring to the BJP numbers in the House.

– With PTI