Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, spoke out on Wednesday against the Uttar Pradesh government’s plan to make protesters pay for damages caused during the recent violence in Sambhal. He suggested that the government should also share photos of BJP supporters who were shouting slogans during the incident.
The violence in Sambhal happened on Sunday, leading to the deaths of four people. It started because of a survey of an old mosque, which some say replaced a Hindu temple.
Yadav claimed that the BJP has a habit of pressuring officials to win elections and said this incident was staged to distract people. He criticized the BJP for not following the country’s Constitution, accusing them of using unfair methods to gain votes. He said that if EVMs (voting machines) were examined closely, it would show irregularities.
He also called on the Supreme Court to look into claims that Uttar Pradesh police coerced the families of the violence victims. According to Yadav, police threatened them and made them sign blank papers, which is illegal. He urged the Supreme Court to take action against those responsible.
So far, police have filed seven FIRs, with four of them from the families of the deceased. They arrested a total of 27 people, including three women and three minors. The police also named SP MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq as someone who allegedly fueled the violence. Barq claimed the police were trying to cover up their mistakes by blaming him.
He stood firm, saying he would always voice the needs and rights of his people to get them the justice they deserve