It's 'Hatya Pradesh', says SP as string of murders rocks UP

The Samajwadi Party on Monday came down heavily on the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh over the rising number of crimes in the state. SP president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav said that the ink on the murder of a Saharanpur-based journalist had not even dried, when there were eight deaths in Prayagraj within 12 hours.

A statement issued by the party said that while the deputy chief minister was busy getting honoured in Prayagraj, murders were taking place right around him. “It seems this state is Hatya Pradesh,” said the statement while asking “if people are scared, whose saath and whose vikas is this government talking of?” The party also demanded that the government give an ex- gratia payment of Rs 50 lakh to the deceased. 

Three people were shot dead in Prayagraj over a dispute on building a wall. In another incident, a sleeping couple were killed using sharp objects by unidentified assailants. In a third incident, a man was shot dead by unidentified miscreants who are believed to have enmity with him.

On Sunday, in Saharanpur, a reporter of a Hindi newspaper was shot dead at his home by unidentified miscreants. His brother was also  shot dead. The apparent cause was a tussle over garbage disposal, but there is speculation that the journalist might have been paid for writing about the liquor mafia. 

The chief minister had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh and also directed the district police to expedite investigation. 

The Samajwadi Party slammed the BJP for the “paltry compensation money” and demanded that at least Rs 20 lakhs—as was being paid by the previous SP government—be given.

In a knee jerk reaction, the government had suspended the SSP of Prayagraj.