Akhilesh Yadav Claims Political Conspiracy in Police Encounters

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has termed the killing of two Sultanpur robbery case accused in police encounters as a conspiracy against Uttar Pradesh. He accused the BJP of avenging its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and creating unrest in the state to prevent future investments.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday termed the killing of a second Sultanpur robbery case accused in a police encounter as a ''conspiracy'' against the future of Uttar Pradesh, claiming the BJP was avenging its Lok Sabha poll defeat in the state.

Anuj Pratap Singh, an accused in the Sultanpur jewellery store robbery case, was gunned down by the Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) in a pre-dawn encounter in Unnao district. This follows a similar encounter on September 5, when Mangesh Yadav, another accused in the August 28 robbery, was gunned down by the STF.

Akhilesh Yadav has previously termed Mangesh Yadav's encounter ''fake'' and caste-driven, criticising the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government. Reacting to the latest encounter, Yadav said on X, ''The weakest people consider encounters as their strength. Any fake encounter is injustice. Tarnishing the image of Uttar Pradesh with violence is a big conspiracy against the state's future.''

He also accused the ruling BJP of creating unrest anticipating electoral defeat and avenging its losses in the Lok Sabha elections. Yadav's statement follows a series of police encounters that have sparked political debate in the state.

Separately, in Amethi, Anuj Pratap Singh's father Dharam Raj Singh alleged political motives behind his son's death. ''My son has become a victim of politics. He had one or two cases against him, yet he was encountered,'' he said. ''There are people with 30 cases against them who remain untouched, but someone with one or two cases is being encountered.''

Yadav has claimed such encounters are motivated by the accused's ''caste'' and dubbed the STF ''Special Thakur Force.'' The ruling BJP has dismissed Yadav's jibes as ''frustration,'' while the police have denied his allegations.

(With inputs from agencies.)