New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday demanded an inquiry against “police brutality” during widespread protests in the state against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
“The police deliberately damaged public property, engaged in stone-throwing and set fire to many places, turning a peaceful protest violent. The highest number of deaths have been reported in Uttar Pradesh in the protests,” Yadav told media.
As many as 20 people have so far died, mostly in UP, in the tide of anti-CAA protests.
Referring to the state government’s decision to seize the property of those involved in the arson, Yadav asked, “who will compensate for the damage done by the police?”
The SP chief held the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the centre and state responsible for the loss of lives in the state.
He sought compensation for those affected during “police excesses”.
“The CCTV footage clearly shows police ransacking houses, breaking CCTV cameras and damaging public property. When will the government order a probe into the damage done by the police and provide compensation to the people,” he added.
Yadav alleged that the Yogi Adityanath government in the state was afraid of Hindu-Muslim unity.
“The government is afraid of Hindu-Muslim unity. It is making allegations that people are criminals. It wants to confiscate the property of the poor Muslims. BJP is trying to tear apart the social fabric by raising issues like CAA,” he averred.
Yadav also blamed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath’s “call for revenge” for escalation in last week’s violence in UP.
“All this damage and loss of lives happened in Uttar Pradesh because of Yogi Adityanath’s bitter language and call for revenge from the protesters. Had he not been so bitter and revengeful, this would not have happened,” Yadav said.
The SP leader said that widespread protests against CAA were enough to prove that the people rejected the amended citizenship law.
He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to terrorise people in the name of action against anti-CAA protesters.
“The BJP wants to divide the society. The Modi-led government has only one agenda — to terrorise people who are not supporting CAA,” Yadav stated.
