Parties target SP govt over law and order

LUCKNOW: The murder of BahujanSamaj Party leader Sarvesh Kumar Singh on Friday drew sharp criticism from political parties. Reacting to Singh's murder and crying foul over the deteriorating law and order in the state, Congress spokespermanDwijendraTripathi said the party will demand judicial probe into the killing and ensuing violence in Azamgarh. Tripathi, in a statement issued on Friday, said, "The Samajwadi government has been caught napping once again.The government has lost the moral responsibility to lead the state."
Strong criticism also poured in from the BSP quarters, which described the prevailing conditions in UP as "jungleraj". BSP spokesman and leader of opposition in UP assembly, Swami Prasad Maurya said even public representatives are no longer safe in the state. Though the state government spun into damage control by Friday evening, opposition parties emphasised that the law and order has fallen to worrisome levels. On Friday, UP BJP chief Laxmikant Bajpayi appointed a three-member monitoring committee of the state unit to investigate into Singh's murder. He said the committee will visit Azamgarh to assess the situation and prepare its report. The Rashtriya Lok Dal also criticised the Samajwadi Party government for having failed to do enough to control the mob violence and the deterioration in law and order situation. UP RLD chief Munna Singh Chauhan said, "In Azamgarh, the mob turned violent because the state police failed to reach there in time. Instead of finding ways to placate the angry mob, the police opened fire on people, as a result of which, at least two persons were killed and dozens others injured." The RLD demanded dismissal of the SP govt and imposition of the President's rule in UP.