Violent protests erupt in UP over killing of cops

Violent protests broke out in Uttar Praesh’s Firozabad on Monday over the killing of two police constables by unidentified assailants. 

Mob violence during the protests also left a DIG of police and several others injured, drawing a strong reaction from the Centre which said it is concerned over the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. 

Under attack over a spate of rapes in the state, the ruling Samajwadi Party accused the media of ‘targeting’ its government under a ‘conspiracy sponsored by BJP.’ Protests erupted in the Firozabad city, about 285km from Lucknow, at Subhash crossing near the district hospital with locals demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the killing of the two constables last night at Sailai Road. 

DIG (range) Vijay Singh Meena was one of those injured as the irate crowd resorted to brick-batting. Several shops and vehicles were damaged by the angry mob which also blocked the road and torched a police vehicle. 

According to police, the two constables were shot dead by unidentified miscreants during a chase in the Ramgarh area in Firozabad. The incident took place when the constables Dinesh Pratap Singh and Giriraj Kishore Gujjar, aged between 30-32 years, were chasing a group of miscreants last night.

While Giriraj died on the spot after being shot, Dinesh was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed during treatment. 

Following the incident, SO Ramgarh Ajay Kumar Yadav and sub-inspector Omar Farooq have been suspended, DIG Meena said. Additional personnel have been rushed to the area where the protests are taking place, police said, adding that a manhunt has been launched to nab the assailants.

In Varanasi, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said, ‘I know the reason (for the incident). I know this district. Firozabad is our district. I have decided to give Rs 20 lakh each to the families of the two constables. They were brave policemen.They died while maintaining law and order.’ 

Amid increasing incidents of crime against women in Uttar Pradesh, the Central government on Monday said it was concerned over the prevailing law and order in the state and was closely monitoring the situation.

‘The MHA is concerned over the prevailing Law and Order situation in Uttar Pradesh. We are closely monitoring the situation in UP.’ 

Another BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said, ‘BJP supporters are intentionally targeted in UP following the complete rout of SP. The crime has gone beyond control and for this menace the SP government should be blamed. We have seen planned murder of BJP workers.’ Minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju also slammed the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Akhilesh Yadav, over the law and order situation. 

‘This should not be taken as some politics being done by us because their government is of a different party. Whatever the government, whether of our party or of some other party ... everybody is worried if the law and order is not good,’ Rijiju said. Lashing out at the ruling Samajwadi Party in UP, senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged the state government had failed. 

‘The result is administrative incompetence ... the administrative chaos is clearly visible,’ he said. 

Former Congress MP Rashid Alvi said ‘we are very much worried about the law and order situation in UP. We have time and again suggested that the UP government should take care of it. Whatever is happening is very unfortunate. 

Strict action should be taken.’ Alvi, however, made it clear that his party is not demanding the resignation of the Akhilesh Yadav government. 

The reactions of the Union home minister and leaders of various political parties come in the backdrop of a spurt in criminal incidents in the state recently like alleged rape of a woman in front of her children in Badaun, killing of two police constables, burning alive of a labourer and molestation of a French woman.