Lucknow, Sep 12 (IANS): Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak, along with several cabinet ministers, has targeted Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav over his remarks on the Sultanpur robbery case. The ministers have pointed out that criminals have no caste.
The Sarafa Association has also praised the Uttar Pradesh Police under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's leadership for solving the Sultanpur robbery case. They have questioned Akhilesh Yadav, asking whether Mangesh was a criminal or not. They also asked how Akhilesh can hold a press conference regarding a criminal.
The Dy CM stated that since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, law and order has improved and criminals' morale has diminished. He accused the SP and other opposition parties of protecting the robbers involved in the daylight robbery at a jeweller's shop in Sultanpur.
Pathak said that the government has conducted a thorough investigation into the incident, including gathering facts, analysing CCTV footage, tracking mobile locations, and identifying and apprehending the wanted suspects.
He slammed Akhilesh’s party for “consistently supporting criminals”, noting that the SP leadership did not make any statements in support of the affected jeweller. Pathak also condemned the Samajwadi Party for siding with criminals rather than the victims, such as in the case of a daughter who was raped.
Samajwadi Party is now rallying support for the criminals based on caste following the encounter during which one of the criminals was killed, said Pathak, adding that the government's commitment is that a criminal is simply a criminal, with no caste involved.
He emphasised that people from all sections of society are united with the government. Over 2.5 kilograms of stolen gold were recovered from the homes of the wanted suspects. Pathak said that the public knows the Samajwadi Party has consistently nurtured criminals whenever it has been in power.
He recalled incidents from the SP’s previous tenure, including the Hazratganj case in Lucknow where Lohiya Vahini “goons” had assaulted a police officer and rammed a jeep into the SSP’s residence. He questioned how many culprits were punished for that act.
He also mentioned the Badaun and Mathura Jawahar Bagh incidents, where police officers lost their lives, and the Muzaffarnagar riots, where numerous innocent lives were lost, calling on the SP to answer for these events.
Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad also said that criminals have no caste. Nishad alleged that during the previous government under Akhilesh Yadav, members of the Nishad community were killed.
He highlighted the historical significance of Ayodhya for the fishing community (Nishad) and questioned how those who shoot in Ayodhya could understand its development. Nishad argued that speaking negatively about Ayodhya is tantamount to speaking against the Nishad community. He contrasted Uttar Pradesh's past as a "sick state" with its current status as a "hub of development."
Prison Minister Dara Singh Chauhan stated that the Yogi government does not operate based on caste. He praised the Uttar Pradesh Police for their impartial investigation into the Sultanpur robbery case.
Chauhan questioned how Akhilesh Yadav could hold a press conference regarding a criminal when the state's law and order is being widely praised. He also criticised Yadav's comments on the Ayodhya issue as incorrect and added that although “Yadav may have won the Lok Sabha elections through falsehoods, such deceptive tactics cannot succeed repeatedly”.
Panchayati Raj Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said that the Sarafa (Jewellers) Association has praised the police for solving the Sultanpur robbery case.
He demanded that Akhilesh Yadav clarify whether the involved individuals were criminals or not. Rajbhar questioned why Yadav does not speak out when police officers are martyred during operations.
He also asked Yadav to explain who shot Constable Shailesh Rajbhar. Rajbhar accused the Samajwadi Party of following a separatist path similar to the Congress and claimed that Yadav is now trying to find his people among thieves and robbers. He decried the SP's “history of giving tickets to criminals and promoting them as leaders”.