Lawless UP

Even as journalist Prashant Kanojia walked free after five days in jail following his arrest on charges of posting defamatory tweets on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, more disturbing news comes from the state. A scribe covering the derailment of a goods train was allegedly beaten up by Government Railway Police Personnel at Shamli. The journalist has claimed that the reason for the assault was the airing of a story on the channel about a nexus between police officers and vendors who were allowed to operate in goods trains despite not having permission for it. The GRP SHO and a constable have been suspended after a video of the incident purportedly became public. Close on its heels comes report of the UP Bar Council chief, a woman, being shot by a lawyer, her one-time associate, inside an Agra court.

It might be easy to dismiss these as an aberration but care has to be taken to ensure that incidents of crime do not spiral out of control and become a rule rather than exception. Only some days back, a minor was found brutally murdered in Aligarh. Similar incidents have been reported from towns like Kushinagar and Sitapur. CM Yogi Adityanath has been claiming that law and order under the BJP rule has never been better in the state. As a manifestation of his resolve, he has ordered the revival of anti-Romeo squads to check crime against women and minors. But care has to be taken that it does not turn into moral policing. The CM only recently reeled off statistics to drive home the point that the mafia sway under the earlier SP, BSP governments has been checked. Also, incidents of communal violence have come down barring incidents in Bulandshahr and Kairana, the latter a major poll issue for the BJP in 2017.  

While Yogi Adityanath has been emphasising on zero tolerance for crime, the recent incidents show he has to walk the talk before resting content on his claim of UP being a ‘nazeer’ or model state for the country.