All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi has condemned the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the recent Bahraich encounter. He questioned the actions of the Uttar Pradesh police and highlighted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s controversial “thok denge” policy. This encounter followed the arrest of five individuals allegedly linked to the Bahraich violence, two of whom sustained gunshot wounds.
According to police reports, the accused were attempting to flee to Nepal, which borders Bahraich district. In a post on X, Owaisi asserted that if the police possessed sufficient evidence, they should have sought legal action rather than resorting to extrajudicial measures. He stated, “It is not difficult to know the truth about the ‘encounter’ related to the Bahraich violence. Everyone knows about Yogi’s ‘Thok Denge’ policy.”
Owaisi further emphasized that if evidence was indeed available, the police should have aimed for legal repercussions for the accused. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar clarified that the incident occurred while police were escorting the accused for weapon recovery near the India-Nepal border. He explained, “When the police were taking the five arrested individuals for weapons recovery, the two accused attempted to escape, leading to the firing.”
Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, have expressed their concerns over the encounter. Yadav accused the Yogi Adityanath-led government of using such incidents to mask its failures in governance. He stated, “This incident reflects administrative failure. The government resorts to encounters to cover up their shortcomings. If encounters were improving law and order, Uttar Pradesh would be far ahead of other states. If permission was granted for the procession, why wasn’t it conducted peacefully? If they can’t manage a small event, how can they be expected to maintain law and order in the state?”
The situation following the encounter remains tense, with scrutiny on the government’s approach to law enforcement and public safety.
