Concerned over the continuously increasing crimes in Uttar Pradesh, especially in incidents of murder, rape, kidnapping and crime against women, Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee president and former minister Ajay Rai on Tuesday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government, charging that “maha jungle raj” was prevalent in the state.
Expressing anger over the brutal murder of the rape victim in Kaushambi in broad daylight by hacking her with an axe on Monday, Rai said that seeking justice in Yogi raj was equivalent to risking one’s life.
Rai said that the fear of law among criminals had completely ended. “Every day fearless criminals are committing new crimes due to which the people of the state are feeling unsafe,” he said.
Condemning the Kaushambi incident, Rai said that the 20-year-old girl had filed a case of rape against the accused three years ago, and the accused and his brother had come out on bail due to weak perusal of the case in the court by the government. He said the accused were constantly intimidating and threatening the girl while pressuring her for an agreement and when the girl did not yield to the pressure, the accused brutally murdered her by chopping her with an axe in a crowded place in broad daylight.
“This incident shows the failure of the police system in the state and the prevalent jungle raj and the high spirits of the criminals,” the UPCC chief said.
Rai said that between 2017 and 2021, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of incidents of murder after rape or gang rape. He said according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data of 2021, maximum cases of crimes against women were registered in Uttar Pradesh, which was a proof of jungle raj prevailing in the state.
Describing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s questioning of the law and order situation in Rajasthan during an election rally as ridiculous, Rai said that both crime and criminals were rampant in Uttar Pradesh, crimes were increasing wildly and the chief minister was unable to stop, but instead of taking steps, he was making false propaganda before public.
The UP Congress president said that the biggest reason for increasing crime in the Yogi government was that the criminals were getting protection from the government. “In all the incidents of Hathras, Unnao, Lakhimpur Kheri, Lucknow, Kanpur and other places, the criminals and the accused are getting the protection of the government at the behest of the senior leaders,” he charged.
Rai alleged that the government and administration had made continuous efforts to save the accused in the Hathras case while in the Unnao incident, the Bharatiya Janata Party and its government tried till the last breath to save the criminals. He said the government was still standing with the criminals in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident while cover-up continues in the case of murder of a woman and her daughter by burning them under the influence of a bulldozer in Kanpur.
The UPCC chief said that inaction of the government had boosted the morale of criminals and they were freely striking at their will and targeting females and others.