UP dy CM slams 'those questioning' Asad's encounter

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday lashed out at the opposition parties for extending support to criminals after gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahemd's son Asad, and another accused, Ghulam, were killed in an encounter by the Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday.

While speaking to ANI, Brajesh Pathak said, "We have a policy of zero tolerance, we will not spare any criminal. The people of the state are looking at parties standing in support of the criminals. They will not forgive them."

"As the findings come, we will proceed forward. The matter is in the hands of the court. Whatever the decision of the court is, we will follow it. According to the police investigation being done under CrPC, all the facts will be collected and a chargesheet will be filed," Pathak added.

Hours after Asad was killed in an encounter, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that questions have been raised over 'fake' encounters in Uttar Pradesh and the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state has received maximum National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) notices on such actions.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also took a jibe at his successor Yogi Adityanath over his 'will reduce mafia to dust' comments made in the assembly, saying those who mouth such 'filmi dialogue' have no faith in the Constitution.

Yadav told reporters this was not the first time fingers have been pointed at the UP government over "fake" encounters in the northern state.

Apparently referring to the killing of gangster Vikas Dubey in an encounter in July 2020 near Kanpur, the SP leader said not many believed the Uttar Pradesh police version that the vehicle carrying him from Madhya Pradesh had overturned.

The UP police had then claimed Dubey was shot dead when he was trying to flee after the car carrying him from Ujjain overturned on the outskirts of Kanpur.

"Recently in Kanpur, when the hut of a mother-daughter duo was bulldozed and then set afire, both lost their lives. Similarly, one Pushpendra Yadav was killed in a fake encounter (in 2019). A person died in police custody in Kanpur.

"In Balia, BJP workers killed a promising student leader. In Balia again, money lenders pressured a trader to such an extent that he lost his life," Yadav said.

"Filmy dialogue like 'mitti me mila denge' (will reduce to dust) is uttered by those who don't have faith in the Constitution," he said, attacking CM Adityanath.

Specifically asked whether Atiq Ahmad's son was killed in a fake encounter, Yadav said questions have been repeatedly raised against the Uttar Pradesh government over 'fake' encounters in the state.

"The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has given maximum notices to the UP government (over police actions like encounters). Maximum number of custodial deaths in the country take place in Uttar Pradesh," he claimed.

The SP leader arrived in Boravan town of Khargone district to pay respects to late Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister Subhash Yadav.

-- with PTI inputs