'How Is This Justice', 'Law And Order Collapsed': Oppn Slams Yogi Govt Over Bahraich Accused Encounter

According to the UP police, the accused were shot at after they tried to flee to Nepal while being taken for the recovery of weapons in Bahraich. Sarfaraz and Talib are being treated in a hospital.

Bahraich Encounter: The opposition on Thursday came down heavilly at the Uttar Pradesh government over the encounter of two of the five accused in the communal violence in Bahraich, which claimed the life of a 22-year-old man.

According to the UP police, the accused were arrested and were being taken for the recovery of weapons, when two of them, Sarfaraz and Talib, tried to flee to Nepal. UP's Bahraich district shares a border with Nepal. The duo has been admitted to a hospital, where they are being treated for the gunshot injuries.

Following the encounter, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the CM Yogi Adityanath-led government, allegeing that it was conducting encounters to cover up its failures.

“This incident was an administrative failure. The government is doing encounters to cover up their failure... If encounters had been improving the law and order of the state, UP would have been way ahead of most states... If permission had been taken for the procession, why wasn't it carried out peacefully? If they cannot handle such a small event, how can one expect them to safeguard law and order in the state...” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters, according to ANI.

"Encounter, and now half-encounter in new definition... if law and order was to get better by encounter, then UP would have been much better than several other states in several aspects..." he added.

'Law & Order Have Collapsed': Congress

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also crticised the Uttar Pradesh government and claimed that law and order has collapsed in the state.

"Law and order has collapsed in Uttar Pradesh...There is a list of fake encounters in the state...I think in a state where the ADG Law & Order has to walk carrying a weapon even 48 hours after riots, it means that law and order have collapsed there. We have been appealing to restore peace in UP…" she said.

UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, "The government has been conducting fake encounters for a long time. They are merely trying to cover up their failures." 

'Everyone Knows About Yogi's Thok Denge Policy': Owaisi

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi hit out at the UP government over the encounter. In a post on X, he took a jibe at Yogi Adityanath saying "Everybody knows about Yogi's 'Thok Denge' policy".          

"It is not difficult to know the truth about the 'encounter' of the accused of Bahraich violence by the police. Everyone knows about Yogi’s 'Thok Denge' policy. If the police had so much evidence, then efforts would have been made to get the accused punished legally," he tweeted.

'Big Achievement For UP Police': BJP

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that the encounter was a big achievement for the UP police which deserved appreciation.

"Protocol was completely followed and the fire was used only to bring him down. Then this is a big achievement for UP police and should be appreciated," BJP MP Syed Zafar Islam said.

Uttar Pradesh minister O.P. Rajbhar remarked that those who commit a crime will have to "live underground or in jail or go to heaven".

"When the police go to arrest someone and bullets are fired at them, will the police garland them or shower flowers on them?... Dead or alive, they (criminals) have to be caught. If they have committed a crime, they will have to live underground or in jail or go to heaven... There should be order in the country and the state," he said.