Political slugfest over Mathura violence

The Akhilesh Yadav government on Friday came under attack from Opposition parties over the Mathura violence with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi saying it was a stark reminder of the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.

“Unabated violence is a stark reminder of the deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh,” Mr Gandhi said on micro-blogging site Twitter. “Deepest condolences to the family members of police officers and others killed in the violence in Mathura. Hope the government ensures that peace in Mathura is restored immediately and the guilty are punished,” he said.

BSP supremo Mayawati said the Samajwadi Party government should take responsibility for the “unfortunate and painful” incident, in which 24 people were killed, and resign. She also demanded a time-bound judicial inquiry.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala asked the UP government to address the serious situation and asserted that it was not the time “to score political brownie points”. “BJP should remember that instead of playing politics over the dead, the important thing is to ensure peace is restored, that people who have occupied government land are punished, murderers are brought to book and the Akhilesh government wakes up from its slumber and takes decisive action,” he said.

Senior UP minister Shivpal Singh Yadav said “politics should not be done over the dead (sic)”, even as SP MP Naresh Agarwal said it was easy to blame the government. “It is very easy to blame a government. But this government is doing its job,” Mr Agarwal, whose son is a minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government, said.

Alleging that “jungle raj and mafia raj” have been thriving in UP ever since the Samajwadi Party came to power, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday demanded chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s resignation in the wake of the Mathura violence. Making a jibe at SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that a local goon, who had the patronage of a senior minister from “Mulayam Singh Yadav Pvt. Ltd”, was behind the clash. A party delegation led by Mr Sanjay Singh will also visit Mathura on Saturday. “Uttar Pradesh is witnessing goonda and mafia raj ever since the Samajwadi Party came to power. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav should not waste even a minute and tender his resignation,” Mr Singh said, adding that there have been over 600 riots since the SP came to power in UP. “The AAP too has demanded eviction of illegal occupants from the land and this has not been done despite orders from the high court,” Mr Singh added.