Rahul, Priyanka, Akhilesh and Mayawati attack UP CM Yogi Adityanath over Kanpur encounter

NEW DELHI: Top opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati on Friday attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over Kanpur encounter in which eight cops and two criminals were killed and a dreaded gangster Vikas Dubey escaped.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised questions about the safety of the common people in Uttar Pradesh after eight policemen were shot dead in Uttar Pradesh`s Kanpur district.

"Another proof of hooliganism in Uttar Pradesh. When the police are not safe, how will the public be?" Rahul Gandhi said.

Her sister and Congress General Secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra stated that the law and order situation in the State has deteriorated and demanded strict action from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. 

"The miscreants fired indiscriminately on the police who went to apprehend the miscreants, in which eight jawans including CO, SO of UP police were killed. My condolences to the families of these martyrs of UP Police. Law and order in UP have deteriorated, criminals are fearless," the Congress leader tweeted (translated from Hindi).

"Public and even the police are not safe. The CM himself has the responsibility of law and order. After such a terrible incident, they should take strict action. There should be no laxity," she added.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati called the encounter at Kanpur, that resulted in the killing of 8 police personnel, as "extremely sad, shameful and unfortunate".

In a series of tweets in Hindi, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister urged the state government to be "more robust" with regard to the law and order situation in the state.

"The incident where 8 policemen including deputy SP were killed and seven others who were injured in an encounter by vicious criminals in Kanpur today is extremely sad, shameful and unfortunate. It is clear that the UP government needs to be more robust, especially in the matter of law and order," she tweeted.

The BSP chief further said that the state government must provide a proper ex-gratia and employment to a member of the family of the deceased police officers.

"For this sensational incident, the government must not spare the criminals at any cost even if there is a need to carry out a special operation. The government should provide the family of the deceased police with proper ex-gratia amount as well as job to any family member, this is the demand of BSP," read her second tweet.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhielsh Yadav too came down heavily on the UP government calling it a ‘Rogi Sarkar’ and demanded strict action against the criminals.

They all extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased police personnel and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

Eight police personnel, including a circle officer, were shot dead and six policemen seriously injured when a local criminal Vikas Dubey and his gang sprayed them with bullets in Kanpur.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the incident and offered his condolences to the families of the deceased.

जनपद कानपुर में 'कर्तव्य पथ' पर अपना सर्वस्व न्योछावर करने वाले 08 पुलिसकर्मियों को भावभीनी श्रद्धांजलि।

शहीद पुलिसकर्मियों ने जिस अपरिमित साहस व अद्भुत कर्तव्यनिष्ठा के साथ अपने दायित्वों का निर्वहन किया, उ.प्र. उसे कभी भूलेगा नहीं। उनका यह बलिदान व्यर्थ नहीं जाएगा।

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) July 3, 2020

A massive search operation has been launched to nab Vikas Dubey. The police are also using electronic surveillance. The police have recovered cartridges of AK-47 from the site of the incident.