Bulldozer Baba scare? Over 50 criminals surrendered since Yogi Adityanath's return to power

New Delhi: After Yogi Adityanath’s aka Bulldozer Baba’s comeback in Uttar Pradesh, over 50 criminals have surrendered themselves to police in the state, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told PTI on Monday.

As per the official, two criminals were killed in encounters and many others have been arrested during the period.

Reports from various parts of the state also suggest several illegal encroachments have been removed with bulldozers which are now linked to Yogi Adityanath’s model of governance.

It has also been reported that visuals of many absconding criminals walking back to police stations with placards hanging around their necks with messages like “I am surrendering, don't shoot me, please” have been surfacing on social media.

The bulldozer reference comes from Yogi’s remarks during one of his rallies during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Election 2022, about running a bulldozer of governance on the criminals and mafias of the state

Reports from different parts of the state suggest consistent deployment of bulldozers to clear encroachments and demolition of illegal properties.

The heavy machine used for razing properties, acquired by people with criminal antecedents with proceeds of their crimes, during the last five years reflected the Adityanath government's "zero tolerance towards crime".

Liquor smugglers surrender

Subsequently, four liquor smugglers have surrendered in Deoband and so was the case of many criminals in Shamli.

Last week, a rape case accused surrendered in Pratapgarh four days after raping a woman in a toilet near the Railway station. The accused gave him up after the police parked a bulldozer in front of his house.

The Auraiya district administration on Monday cleared shops built illegally on government land in a market there.

Similarly, on the eve of Holi, the administration had demolished shops on an encroached piece of land in the Mainpuri district.

(With PTI inputs)