Now one really feels scared while traveling by road. There is fear all around. Murder, rape, kidnapping and robbery are matter of concern. Not only that even Police force are attacked. Our Uttar Pradesh was not like this earlier. Criminals are roaming freely in the state. Police appears helpless in the state. The state government is indifferent. Has it been concerned about law and order, the government would posted police officers in posts that are vacant.
There are 3.64 lakhs sanctioned strength of Police force in the state. But at present only 1.64 lakh police men are working. Approximately 2 lakh posts are vacant. A Public Litigation Petition was filed in the Supreme Court in this regard. The apex court has expressed concern and has issued notice to the state government on this issue.
The situation on the ground is such that criminals are not afraid of Police any longer. Police are now scared of hardened criminals and petty politicians.
According to a report tabled in the state assembly there were 1044 attack on the Police force during 4 years of Akhilesh Yadav Government of the Samajvadi Party. This information was provided in the House on a question raised by BJP MLA Radha Mohan Agrawal. Azam Khan, a senior cabinet minister had informed the House in his reply to the question of the BJP legislator. Many Police men were killed in the attack. This continued during 5th year of Akhilesh rule in the state. The report of rising crime in the state has exposed the state government on its claim of controlled crime in Uttar Pradesh.
National Highway passing through Uttar Pradesh remains a dreaded track where murder and robbery take place. Every other day bodies are found on highway. Last year the country was shocked when mother and daughter were subjected to gang rape by criminals in Bulandshahar. Criminals had held captive the two women on National Highway 91 between Ghaziabad and Kanpur for more than three hours.
The Police acted very late and it was only after long gap that the criminals were arrested. But Azam Khan, Minister in the U P Government gave a new twist to the crime. Khan termed the gang rape of women as ‘political conspiracy’. The Supreme Court took notice of complaint by father of the victims over uncharitable remark of Azam Khan and issued notice to the state government and the minister concerned. Azam Khan tendered apology to the Supreme Court over his remark of ‘political conspiracy.
Sometime back six bodies were found on Delhi-Agra highway. From the condition of the bodies it appeared that they were brutally murdered and the bodies were thrown on the road by the criminals.
Country’s longest highway network is in Uttar Pradesh with 8483 kilometer road length. Bihar, which is the adjoining state is number two with 4,967 kilometer network of highway.
Frankly speaking people of the state should raise questions before the politicians seeking votes in the state on why so many vacancies in the Police force were not filled up. Voters of the state should put this question before the Samajvadi Party and the Congress fighting elections as allies.
The state government had announced to create a special police force for Highways after the gangrape of two men in Bulandshahar. But the file never moved and it is gathering dust in office secretariat in Lucknow.
Just think, a state that gave not one but seven Prime Ministers to the country is plunged in the darkness of crime and murder. Even the report of the National and State Crime Bureaus say that Uttar Pradesh is number one state in crime of heinous nature including murder and rape. Cases of atrocities against Dalits has a record figure of 8358 cases in Uttar Pradesh.
Even the tourist city of Agra which in on international tourist map is not safe. So is the situation in the state capital of Lucknow. On an average in one day there are 97 cases of assault on women in Uttar Pradesh.
Rahul Gandhi and his new alliance partner Akhilesh Yadav must tell the people of the state while addressing election rallies what and how they would curb the crime in the state before asking people to vote for the alliance.
R K SINHA
(The writer is a Member of Rajya Sabha and Chairman of multilingual news agency Hindusthan Samachar)