BJP govt using Section 144 to hide shortcomings: Mayawati

BSP chief Mayawati Saturday alleged that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was using Section 144 to hide its shortcomings and not allowing anyone to visit Sonbhadra, where 10 people were gunned down this week.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) empowers an executive magistrate to prohibit an assembly of more than four persons in an area.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)leader's remarks comes on a day a TMC delegation was detained at the Varanasi airport when it was going to meet the victims' families in Sonbhadra. On Friday,
In a tweet Mayawati said, "The UP government is banking on section 144 to hide its shortcomings pertaining to protection of life and property, and is not allowing anyone to visit Sonbhadra. Even then, the BSP legislature party has been directed to visit the place and extend every possible help to the affected people."