Kanpur encounter: Oppn slam Adityanath govt over law and order situation

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath government over the killing of eight policemen in an encounter in Kanpur, saying no one was safe in the state.

Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, on Friday lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath government over the killing of eight policemen in an encounter in Kanpur, saying no one was safe in the state.

At least eight Uttar Pradesh Police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, were killed and seven others injured in an encounter with criminals in Kanpur, officials said on Friday.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter to condole the deaths.

"Eight policemen were martyred while they went to nab criminals. I pay my condolence to the family of the martyrs. In UP, law and order has become very bad and criminals have no fear. From common man to policemen, no one is safe," she said.

"The responsibility of law and order is with the chief minister. He should initiate strict action and there should be no laxity in it," she added.

The Samjwadi Party said Uttar Pradesh has become "hatya pradesh" (murder state).

" In 'rogi sarkar' 'jungleraj', UP has become 'hatya pradesh', where in Kanpur criminals patronised by those in power attacked policemen killing eight of them," Samajwadi Party said in a tweet.

While condoling the deaths, the SP has demanded an "immediate announcement of Rs 1 crore each for the martyred policemen's family".

It also demanded that the alleged "connection (of criminals) with those in power should be exposed".

BSP Supremo Mayawati termed the incident as "shameful and unfortunate", and added that "it is clear that the UP government needs to be more alert on law and order issue."

"Those involved should not be spared by the government at any cost even if a special campaign is needed for that. The family of those who died should be given financial help and job should be given to one member of their family. This is demand of the BSP," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a tweet.