With Bharatiya Janata Party legislator from Ballia coming out in open support of a small-time party worker who gunned down his rival in the presence of a sub-divisional magistrate and a circle officer in Ballia on Thursday, leaders of opposition parties attacked the government over the sharp dip in law and order.
Small time BJP leader Dhirendra Singh opened fire with his licensed rifle at his rival Jai Prakash (46) killing him in the presence of the SDM and the CO during a meeting to allot ration shops to women self-help groups in Durjanpur village of Ballia.
Initially nabbed by the cops, the assailant managed to escape.
The CO, the SDM and other cops present on the scene were later suspended by the chief minister.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Bairia seat (Ballia) Surendra Singh defended the assailant saying, “The incident is upsetting and should not have taken place. But I condemn the biased probe of the police. Nobody is looking at the pain of six women who were injured in the incident. Dhirendra Singh fired in self-defence.”
“Had he not opened fire, then dozens of his kin would have been killed. Wrongdoers should be punished under law. What happened shouldn’t have happened but the police should also act against other groups which attacked women with sticks and iron rods,” Singh added.
The Bairia MLA confirmed that assailant Dhirendra Singh headed the BJP’s Ex-Servicemen unit in Ballia district.
“This is a casualty that can happen anywhere. In this incident, there was stone-pelting from both sides. The law will take its own course in the matter,” the legislator said.
Meanwhile, averring that UP was unsafe for women, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath did not have the time to call a special session for this and was busy in photo sessions.
In a tweet, Priyanka Vadra posted, “A total of 13 horrific incidents of crimes against women have occurred in the past one week in UP. As per reports, victims were murdered in four incidents or they committed suicide. This state of women security is disturbing. The CM does not have time to conduct a ‘special session’ on this. Yes, the photo session is going on.”
The Congress leader also presented details of date-wise crimes with the tweet, including the rape of a girl in Noida on October 9, of a five-year-old girl in Hardoi on October 10, gang-rape by polytechnic students in Jhansi on October 11, rape reported from Gonda, Hathras, Pratapgarh, Hapur, Chitrakoot on October 13 among others.
On his part, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the Yogi government over the incident and tweeted, “Now with a ruling party man involved in the sensational crime, it is to be seen whether the police SUV would also turn upside down.”
Condemning the incident, Bahujan Samaj party supremo Mayawati on Friday said that the Yogi government should focus on improving the deteriorating law and order situation.
In a tweet, Mayawati said, “The Ballia incident in UP is extremely worrying and in view of the frequent cases of atrocities against women and girls, it is clear that law and order has died here. It would be better if the government pays attention to this.”
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar alias Ravan also targeted the law and order situation and highlighted the rape of a Dalit minor in Barabanki.
On Friday, Ravan tweeted, “The Barabanki incident was a horrific crime. The Dalit girl was tied by her legs and hands and thereafter gang-raped. The victim’s private parts were crushed by the accused mercilessly.”
