Sultanpur Encounter: Political Uproar Over Mangesh Yadav Encounter Intensifies Between SP & BJP

The controversy surrounding the encounter of accused Mangesh Yadav in Sultanpur continues to escalate, with sharp exchanges between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Former Uttar Pradesh DGP and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Brijlal has made significant allegations in response to SP's claim that the encounter was staged. Brijlal criticized the SP for alleging that the Sultanpur encounter was fake, stating that the SP has a history of supporting criminals and terrorists. He pointed out that during the SP's tenure, criminals were emboldened to kill SPs, DSPs, and police officers. Brijlal presented records of criminal activities by individuals associated with the SP and accused them of openly supporting these criminals. The former DGP further alleged that SP leader Akhilesh Yadav questioned the encounter because the deceased, Mangesh Yadav, was a member of the Yadav community. Brijlal claimed that Mangesh had committed a robbery at a jeweler's, stealing property worth over one crore rupees. He also accused Yadav of engaging in politics that favors criminals and terrorists, recalling that in 2013, the SP government had withdrawn chargesheets against 14 terrorists, including two Pakistanis. Brijlal mentioned several police officers killed during the SP's rule, including SP Mukul Dwivedi and Thana Incharge Santosh Yadav, allegedly murdered by Ramvriksh Yadav and his gang, which was supposedly protected by the Yadav family. He also cited incidents of other officers being killed and criticized the SP's governance as an era of "jungle raj" where police encounters were common. In response, SP leader and former minister Pawan Pandey rejected the claim that Mangesh Yadav's killing was an encounter, calling it a murder by the UP police. He alleged that Yadav was brutally executed after being abducted from his home. Pandey denounced the BJP government for oppression against Dalits, backward classes, and minorities, demanding a thorough investigation and strict action against the responsible officials. Akhilesh Yadav had earlier accused the encounter of being a fake, asserting that Yadav was killed based on caste considerations.