Lucknow, Oct 21: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday alleged that political interference under the previous Samajwadi Party government had weakened the police and emboldened criminals in the state, which saw 815 riots in the 2012-2017 period.
Addressing the Police Commemoration Day event in Lucknow, Adityanath reiterated his government's zero-tolerance policy towards crime and said the police had been freed from political constraints since the BJP came to power in 2017.
"Remember, there was a time when even a police station in-charge or an SP would think twice before acting against a criminal. The moment the police touched a criminal, phone calls would start coming from the corridors of power, and within hours, action would be taken against the officer instead of the criminal," he alleged.
He claimed that police personnel were once made to prioritise the personal interests of those in power instead of pursuing criminals, while police stations lacked adequate facilities and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) companies faced attempts to shut them down.
Adityanath alleged that criminals openly carried automatic weapons while police personnel were left with rusty rifles to defend themselves.
Targeting critics of police encounters and the government's zero-tolerance policy, he said some people expressed grief over the deaths of dreaded mafiosi and terrorists but lacked sympathy when innocent police personnel were killed by criminals or when their children were left orphaned.
He also accused the previous government of showing little concern when traders were kidnapped and women were subjected to public humiliation.
"Today, a criminal knows where his final destination lies in Uttar Pradesh," the CM said.
Citing the 2012-17 period, Adityanath said 815 riots had taken place in the state. Each incident affected the livelihoods of poor people, daily wage workers and the education of children.
He also referred to the Jawahar Bagh incident in Mathura, alleging that encroachers had enjoyed political patronage and that Superintendent of Police Mukul Dwivedi and Station House Officer Santosh Yadav had lost their lives in the incident.
Adityanath said his government had broken the "political shackles" on the police after assuming office in 2017 and instructed the force to protect the poor, victims, traders and the dignity of women.
He claimed that strict action against mafias had helped create an environment conducive to investment in Uttar Pradesh and alleged that properties worth Rs 15,000 crore belonging to mafias had been demolished or taken away from them.
"Land freed from criminal encroachment was being used for housing for the poor," he said.
The CM also highlighted recruitment and infrastructure expansion in the police force, claiming that around 2.26 lakh appointments had been made in the state during his government's tenure, while recruitment for another 35,000 posts was in its final stages.
He said the number of women personnel in the police force had increased from around 10,000 to 45,000.
Adityanath also referred to the establishment of new police command centres and the revival of PAC companies that he alleged had been shut down by previous governments because of corruption.
He said the government had also established three new women PAC battalions to strengthen the force.
Referring to action against paper-leak networks, the illicit liquor trade and organised crime, Adityanath asserted that "the police have demonstrated that no one is above the law in Uttar Pradesh".
He added that five lakh police personnel and their family members had been covered under a cashless medical treatment facility.
