Decline in serious crimes in state, people feel more secure: UP govt

The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday claimed the number of serious crimes in the state has seen a decline and the people feel more secure now.

It also claimed that the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh is better compared to other states in the country.

The Uttar Pradesh government's statements come amid attacks from the opposition over the growing crime rate in the state.

Citing the recently released National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2017, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi had on Tuesday said that it was "shameful" that Uttar Pradesh topped in cases of crimes against women.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said Uttar Pradesh was in the "worst condition".

Speaking at a hurriedly convened press conference here, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet minister and state government spokesperson Mahendra Singh said, "Cases in the state are being registered in public interest. There has been a drop in serious crimes, and as compared to other states in the country, the law and order situation in the state is better. The feeling of security among the people has gone up."
Citing the NCRB data, Singh said, "In 2017, the number of cases registered under IPC (Indian Penal Code) in the country were 30.62 lakh, of which 3.10 lakh were in UP. This comes out to be 10.1 per cent, while in terms of population, UP's share is 17.65 per cent in the country."