There is 'Nathuram Raj' in Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav slammed the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, saying there is not "Ram Raj" but "Nathuram Raj" in the state, a day after he visited the family of a youth killed in a police encounter over alleged illegal sand mining.

Police said Pushpendra Yadav was killed in an encounter on Sunday after he opened fire on a patrol team. But his family members have alleged that he was killed in a staged gunfight after he refused to pay bribe to the police station in-charge and threatened to expose him.

The statements of Jhansi SSP and the SHO on the encounter were inconsistent.

The SP chief visited Pushpendra Yadav's family on Wednesday and assured them help.

On Thursday, he said, "There are many loopholes in the police story."