Samajwadi Party has announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the families of protesters who lost their lives in violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. It also demanded government job for one member of such families besides a compensation of Rs 25 lakh each to them.
The announcement was made by SP president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday after he met the family of Mohammed Wakil, who lost his life in anti-CAA protests in Lucknow on December 19. Wakil was hit by a bullet in his stomach.
“He (Wakil) was not involved in the agitation. The government should probe as to whose bullet hit him. They (police) have the post-mortem report now,” the SP chief said, adding that “all the deaths during the protests in the state were caused by police bullets”.
The UP Police initially claimed that none of the deaths was caused by police firing, but subsequently admitted some casualties in police bullets when cops fired in “self defence”, he said.
Yadav said that Wakil was the sole bread winner of the family and demanded adequate compensation, a job for a family member, and a house for the family.
The SP chief said it was unfortunate that the Bharatiya Janata Party, which claims to be a party of all, was ignoring a particular community.
Demanding a probe into the violence and killing of people during the anti-CAA protests, Yadav said that the government should give job and free house to the families of all protesters killed in the violence.
“A software engineer was killed in police firing in Lucknow and the state government had given a compensation of Rs 25 lakh, a house and a job to the family. The same should be given to Wakil’s family,” he said.
The SP chief also demanded a thorough probe into the killing of Mohd Wakil and punishment to the guilty.
Yadav gave Rs 1 lakh to the bereaved family from the Samajwadi Party fund. He said the SP would reach the families of all the anti-CAA protest victims and provide financial help.
A separate delegation of the party went to Meerut and other places to meet the families of those killed in violence during anti-CAA protest.
On Saturday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had visited Muzaffarnagar and Meerut to meet the families of those affected by the anti-CAA protests.
Akhilesh Yadav also lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath government over the alleged transfer-posting racket, saying that the allegations made by Noida SSP Vaibhav Krishna were serious and if the Samajwadi Party came to power, it would see that all the corrupt officers were punished.
“Lakhs of rupees exchange hands in the transfer and posting of officers in UP. Corruption is rampant in the state. Officers from constable to the DIG level bribe their seniors for suitable posting. We are not saying this. A Senior Superintendent of Police (Vaibhav Krishna) has made these allegations. Now think how dangerous is the situation in UP,” Yadav said.
“Documents and reports are with the government. They will be there when we return to power unless the government destroys them. Then we will see. We will not spare even a single corrupt officer,” Yadav added.
He also said that the government may forget about the whole issue and try to delay action, but the people of the state would not forgive them.