Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched a strong attack on the Uttar Pradesh government, alleging caste-based discrimination in the state and claiming that fake encounters have been carried out based on caste.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav targeted the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), alleging that the force was being used to target certain sections of society.
Akhilesh attacks UP STF
Yadav said the STF had taken on a different meaning under the current government.
The Chief Ministers STF actually stands for Swajatiya Torture Force, and the PDA (Pichhra Dalit Alpsankhyak) sections of society are facing constant persecution, he said.
He referred to the recent death of a Dalit youth inside a police station in Badaun and alleged that caste considerations were influencing the police administration.
Recently, a Dalit youth was killed, murdered, inside a police station in Badaun; notably, 10 out of the 22 police stations in Badaun are headed by Station House Officers (SHOs) belonging to the Chief Ministers own caste, Yadav said.
Claims police account contradicts CCTV
The SP chief also questioned the police account of the custodial death in Badaun, alleging that it did not match the available CCTV footage.
Regarding the custodial death in Badaun, the police are citing cardiac arrest as the cause, yet their account contradicts the CCTV footage, he said.
Yadav also referred to an incident in Varanasi, alleging that people belonging to the Chief Ministers caste beat a Dalit man, Ramjanam, to death.
He further alleged that caste played a role in fake encounters in the state.
In cases of fake encounters, the encounters were carried out based on caste. When the government changes in the future, it will investigate all of this. Even within the police department, injustice is being meted out to people belonging to the PDA, Yadav said.
Yadav raises voter revision concerns
Yadav also accused the BJP of planning another voter revision exercise in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the upcoming state elections.
He claimed that migrants from Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand would be registered as voters in Uttar Pradesh.
Following the SIR (Special Intensive Revision), the BJP plans to conduct another revision before the UP elections; they had previously filed Form 7 after the SIR. Now, they intend to carry out an SAR (Special Annual Revision) to register migrants from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand as voters in UP, he said.
Yadav added that the Samajwadi Party would begin its booth-level election campaign from Tuesday.
Questions governments investment and education claims
The SP chief also questioned the Uttar Pradesh governments claims about investment and industrial development, asking for details of the progress made on investment MoUs.
They talk about investments, yet they havent reviewed the actual progress. Some industrialists are currently unhappy; find out the value of the investment MoUs they had signed, Yadav said.
He also alleged that the state government had shut down 26,000 schools.
On Teachers Day, we will hold programs in schools and highlight the fact that the government has shut down 26,000 schools, he said.
Flooding, Prayagraj waterlogging also raised
Yadav expressed concern over flood-related problems across Uttar Pradesh and criticised the state government over persistent waterlogging in Prayagraj despite what he described as massive expenditure.
We stand with the flood victims across UP. In Prayagraj, waterlogging persists despite massive expenditure, he said.
Taking a dig at a state government figure, Yadav added, And then there is a person who cannot distinguish between Spain and Venice.
We are victims too: Akhilesh
Yadav also spoke about the controversy surrounding the alleged purification of a venue following Congress president Mallikarjun Kharges visit and the FIR against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
He said he and his party had faced similar incidents in the past.
We ourselves are victims; this has happened to us three times. In Kannauj, a temple was washed with Ganga water after we left, and our home was also washed with Ganga water, Yadav said.
We are positive and progressive people, and we would never do such a thing. We will take the state forward, he added.