New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday strongly criticised Maharashtra Samajwadi Party chief and MLA Abu Azmi for his remarks on the recent encounter by Ghaziabad police, asserting that the Uttar Pradesh Police functions without bias and that strict action against criminals has helped create a safer environment in the state.

The political exchange comes after Abu Azmi questioned the encounter in which the prime accused in the Ghaziabad murder case was killed, alleging that such actions were influenced by religious considerations and describing the police operation as “extremely wrong”.

“Normally, there is no firing involved during an encounter, except in rare cases. But this has become a model. Criminals should be punished. If someone is a serious offender, give them the death penalty, but there is a Constitution for this. Arrest the criminal, prove the crime in court, and then the punishment is given. However, in Uttar Pradesh, this is being done based on religion,” Azmi said.

“If someone kills a Muslim or a Yadav, then the encounters don’t happen. However, if a Hindu is killed by a Muslim or Yadav, then they are caught in encounters as soon as possible. Criminals are criminals — be it Muslim, Hindu, or Christian. Every criminal should be punished,” he added.

Responding to the allegations, BJP Rajya Sabha member Dinesh Sharma defended the conduct of the UP Police and questioned the basis of Azmi’s criticism.

Speaking to IANS, Sharma said, “I would like to ask Azmi, if someone comes before you and starts firing, will you first ask whether he is a Hindu or a Muslim before taking action? Will the police fire only after that? Why have the police been given weapons? They have been given weapons for self-defence and for the protection of society. If a criminal is continuously firing at the police, what option does the police have?”

He further maintained that law enforcement agencies in the state act without discrimination and that their actions have contributed to improving public confidence.

“I believe the Uttar Pradesh Police acts impartially, and there is fear among criminals. At the same time, I think a positive environment has been created across Uttar Pradesh for ordinary citizens,” Sharma added.

JDU (U) National Spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad also criticised the SP leader’s remarks and said the focus should be on supporting effective law enforcement rather than questioning action against criminals.

Speaking to IANS, Prasad said, “Why do leaders like Tejashwi Yadav and Abu Azmi always appear to be so sympathetic towards criminals? This is a matter of concern. Abu Azmi should first study the actions taken against criminals in Uttar Pradesh before making such statements.”

Emphasising that crime should not be viewed through a social or religious lens, he added, “Instead of viewing crime through the prism of caste and religion, the opposition should support the effective law-and-order system that has been established in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.”

JD(U) Chief Spokesperson Neeraj Kumar also rejected the suggestion that encounters could be linked to religion and argued that criminality has no caste or religious identity.

Speaking to IANS, Kumar said, “How can encounters be carried out based on religion? What was the blood group of Vikas Dubey? Does a criminal or gangster belong to any particular caste or religion? Such statements only benefit political opponents. A criminal is a criminal. Political encounters have already taken place, so now stop encounter politics.”

The remarks came in the wake of the encounter of Asad, the key accused in the murder of 17-year-old Surya Pratap Chauhan, who was allegedly stabbed to death on Bakrid in the Khoda area of Ghaziabad. Asad was shot dead during a late-night police encounter on Saturday, an incident that has since generated intense political debate.

–IANS

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