BJP demands Central rule in Uttar Pradesh

The Bharatiya Janata Party has stepped up pressure on the Mulayam Singh Yadav government by formally demanding dismissal of the state government and imposition of President's rule.

The call comes as the crumbling law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh took another beating with the wife of an inspector general (IG) of police being kidnapped, robbed and later released by miscreants in the state capital on Thursday night.

A delegation of BJP leaders led by state president Kesri Nath Tripathi and legislature party leader Lalji Tandon met the Uttar Pradesh Governor T.V. Rajeswar here yesterday evening and demanded imposition of President's rule in the state.

The BJP apprised the Governor of the deteriorating law and order situation and said that the life of the common man had become completely insecure in the present situation where mafias and criminals were ruling the roost.

The change in BJP stand which was earlier known for being "soft" towards Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav comes a day after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee demanded that Uttar Pradesh be put under President's rule.

Incidentally, Vajpayee, barely two months ago, had declared in Lucknow that if the Mulayam Singh government in Uttar Pradesh was dismissed, his party would take to the streets in protest.

The BJP, apparently sensing the changes in ground realities, is now ready to play the role of an effective opposition in Uttar Pradesh and has started off by demanding the Uttar Pradesh government's dismissal.

"The murder of Bahujan Samaj Party legislator Raju Pal is the latest example of the state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh. For months now, workers belonging to opposition parties, particularly BJP, have been at the receiving end of political vendetta.

"Killings, kidnappings, loot and dacoity have become the order of the day and the chief minister, despite several warnings, has failed to control the deterioration in the law and order situation.

"The situation in the state is now a fit case for imposition of President's rule," state BJP president Kesri Nath Tripathi told reporters after meeting the Governor.

Meanwhile, in an incident marked by irony, Prabhawati, wife of IG-Intelligence, Rati Ram, was reportedly kidnapped by three miscreants who came in a white Maruti van that did not bear a registration number plate from Vikas Nagar locality late on Thursday evening while she was taking a walk.

The miscreants bundled her into the car and when she reportedly tried to raise an alarm, the miscreants covered her face with their face and pointed a pistol at her, threatening to kill her if she acted "smart".

The kidnappers robbed her of her finger rings but apparently developed cold feet when Prabhawati informed them that she was the wife of a police official. They pushed her out of the car near Chowk area and fled.

Prabhawati then called the police form her mobile phone and was later dropped home by the cops. A case has been registered with the Vikas Nagar police but no arrests have yet been made.

Interestingly, Prabhawati had been "kidnapped" in earlier last year in a similar manner from the same locality.