'Public, police not safe': Priyanka Gandhi's salvo at Yogi govt over Kanpur encounter

The Kanpur encounter which left eight policemen dead has heated up politics in Uttar Pradesh. Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took aim at the Yogi Aditynath government saying the law and order situation in UP has "deteriorated" and criminals have become "fearless". She also expressed her condolences to the families of the martyred cops.

Taking to Twitter, Priyanka, who has been aggressively cornering the state BJP government over a host of issues, said that the general public nor the police are safe in UP and advised Chief Minister Adityanath to take strict action in the case without any laxity.

"The miscreants fired indiscriminately on the police who went to capture them, in which 8 cops including CO, SO of UP police were killed. My condolences to the families of these martyrs. Law and order situation in UP has deteriorated, criminals are fearless," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote in Hindi on Twitter, adding, "The public and police are not safe. CM himself has the responsibility of law and order. After such a terrible incident, they should take strict action. There should be no laxity."

Rahul Gandhi too hit out at the UP government over the killing of eight policemen, saying if the police is not safe, how can the people be. "Another proof of 'Gundaraj' in UP. When the police are not safe, how will the public be? My heartfelt condolences are with the families of the slain martyrs and I wish the injured a speedy recovery," he said in a tweet in Hindi.

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Kanpur encounter

The encounter took place when a police team was approaching to arrest Vikas Dubey, a history-sheeter facing 60 criminal cases, in Dikru village under the Chaubeypur police station on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, police said. As the police team was about to reach the hideout of the dreaded criminal, a hail of bullets was showered on them from a building rooftop, leaving Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra, three sub-inspectors and four constables dead, the officials said.

Two criminals allegedly involved in the killing have been neutralised, a senior police officer told media on Friday. 

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed condolences to the families of the eight cops and has ordered Director General of Police, HC Awasthi, to take strict action against criminals. He also sought a report on the incident.

Oppn trains gun

As the news of the incident surfaced, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the Adityanath government by alleging that the criminals and the ruling government have both colluded in the killing of the policemen. Besides Yadav, Om Prakash Rajbhar, National President of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, also lambasted at the state government by saying "this is what Ramrajya is called under BJP rule" and asking the CM's resignation. 

READ | Opposition Targets Yogi Govt On 8 Cops Being Killed In Kanpur; Akhilesh Levels Dire Charge

READ | 8 Policemen Killed In Encounter In Kanpur; UP CM Adityanath Seeks Report Of Incident