‘Police handcuffed’: Akhilesh accuses officers of bias towards BJP

Ambedkar Nagar: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused government officers of working like BJP workers to secure the party’s victory in the upcoming by-elections.

He specifically targeted the district magistrate of Ambedkar Nagar, claiming that the official is acting as if he were the district president of the BJP. Addressing a press conference, Yadav announced that his party would lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against any officers who engage in unfair practices and threatened to publicise their actions through posters.

Yadav also criticised the Yogi Adityanath-led government over the handling of a recent rape case involving a female constable, alleging that the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is “zero” when it comes to women’s safety.

He accused the state police of functioning under pressure from the ruling party, stating: “The BJP has handcuffed the police.” Amid concerns about the unity of the INDIA alliance, Yadav reaffirmed its strength, emphasising that the coalition will fight the by-elections together. He dismissed the BJP’s claim of eliminating poverty in Uttar Pradesh within a year, remarking that “the government itself will be gone in a year.”

Meanwhile, SP candidate Shobhavati Verma filed her nomination for the Katehari assembly constituency. Shobhavati submitted her nomination in two sets. She expressed confidence that the people of Katehari would support her, transcending caste and religious lines.

On the same day, BSP candidate Amit Verma filed his nomination for the Katehari by-election. Verma, who previously contested from Katehari on a Congress ticket in 2012, is now representing the BSP

in this election.