Badaun gang-rape: You do your job, I`ll do mine, Mulayam tells media

Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

Lucknow: A day after his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav blamed media for portraying his state in a negative light, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Wednesday made a scathing remark on the national media and cautioned it to focus on other issues. When quizzed by reporters on rising lawlessness in UP, the SP chief said, “You do your job, I`ll do mine.” Mulayam made this insensitive remark a day after his son, who is under intense criticism over Badaun gang-rape and murder incident, said that a Google search would show such crimes occurring across the country. Yadav made the assertion as he accused the media of playing up incidents taking place in UP. "When such incidents occur it is publicised a lot...Such incidents don`t occur only in UP and if I give you statistics across the country you will again ask me questions. It`s Google era. If you go online and check you will see where else such incidents occur," he told reporters after a Cabinet meeting. The Chief Minister raised a question as to whether the national media highlighted a similar crime in Bangalore in the same manner as the Badaun case. "When a similar crime happened in Bangalore, did the national media broadcast the story they way they highlighted the UP case. Incidents are taking place in Madhya Pradesh. I have got information that chain of a member of a big minister was snatched near her home.” Rajasthan is before you. Only UP is visible and this is more visible to cunning people," he added. Yadav said the state government has taken action whether it is the Badaun case or any other similar incidents. "Badaun or any other incidents in the state, the government has taken stern action on them. In Badaun whatever steps the government could take, it took. Decision on CBI inquiry has also been taken. Wherever incident took place in the state, action has been taken," Akhilesh said. On June one, Akhilesh snapped at a reporter in Kanpur when he asked about the law and order situation in the state against the backdrop of the Badaun case and the Azamgarh gang-rape incident. "I hope you have not faced any danger," shot back Akhilesh. When the journalist said, "No", the Chief Minister`s response was, "Thank you. You should propagate this."