BJP trains guns at UP government over Mathura violence

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday castigated the violent clashes between the police and illegal occupants of a land in Mathura and slammed the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav led-Uttar Pradesh government, for not being able to maintain law and order situation in the state. BJP leader Prabhat Jha said that the Samajwadi government in the state has failed to give good governance and that it should be prosecuted in the regard. "Who gave the permission to make another Jaliawala Bagh like incident. Akhilesh Yadav has totally failed to govern Uttar Pradesh. He has no strict laws to avoid such incidents from taking place," Jha said. "Law and order situation in the state has collapsed. Such Incidents taking place in the land of Lord Krishna is condemnable. I believe Uttar Pradesh government should be prosecuted," he added. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain expressed grief over loss of life and said, "Such incidents are saddening. The situation there is fragile. We appeal for peace and express grief over the loss of lives." Violent clashes between police and illegal occupants of a land in Jawahar Bagh in Mathura last night killed 14 people. The station house officer of the Farah police station Santosh Yadav and the Superintendent of Police (City) Mathura Mukul Dwivedi were killed when activists of Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena (SBSS) opened fire at the police party that attempted to evict it from Jawahar Park late on Thursday evening. According to Mathura police, two bullets hit Station Officer (Farah), Santosh Yadav, who was declared dead on arrival by doctors at Niyati Hospital. SP (City) Mukul Dwivedi, who was placed on ventilator support, succumbed to bullet injuries later, said doctors at the private hospital. Over 100 people, including the city magistrate Ram Araj Yadav, were also injured in the clash that lasted for almost four hours. According to reports, the encroachers were from a semi-religious sect, who described themselves as "Satyagrahis". ADG (Law and Order) Daljeet Singh Chaudhary told the media that the protesters opened fire on the police and also lobbed grenades on the cops. "Country-made guns, rifles, pistols & cartridges recovered from spot, search op underway. It was an unlawful assembly and they had explosives including grenades and pistols which they used to fire upon the police. They fired at police which was absolutely unprovoked. Strict action will be taken," Chaudhary said. Uttar Pradesh's Director General of Police Javed Ahmed said that there was unprovoked firing from the members of an offshoot of the Jai Gurudev sect. He claimed that heavily armed men from the other side fired at the police and the latter had to resort to a baton charge and tear gas shelling and finally opened fire. Calling the situation "tense", Ahmed said reinforcements, including senior police officers, are being sent to the area. The encroachers, who have been on a protest for two years, demand "cancellation of the elections" of the President and Prime Minister of India. They also want that diesel be sold at 60 litres a rupee and petrol at 40 litres a rupee. The existing currency, they also say, should be replaced. According to police, members of this outfit and another smaller organisation, Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena, had been staging demonstrations at Jawahar Bagh over the last two-and-a-half years. Among the other demands posted on their Facebook page are: "We demand all records relating to the 'Ruler of the Nation', law and order, and also the document of citizenship (which shows how we are citizens of the nation) to be made public." So far, police have been able to identify only one of the group's leaders, Ram Vriksha Yadav, but have no further information about him or his associates. The Uttar Pradesh Government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs.20 lakh each for the families of the martyred policemen.