UP is 'abduction pradesh' and not Uttar Pradesh: Cong

Lucknow, Dec 15: The Congress today charged the ruling Samajwadi Party for turning Uttar Pradesh as an 'abduction pradesh' rather than it claim of 'Uttam Pradesh' with the state recording the highest number of kidnappings in the country.

Raising the issue through an adjournment motion in the state assembly, Congress legislature party leader Pramod Tiwari and others claimed that kidnapping has turned into an' flourishing industry' in the present SP regime.

'' UP has topped the list in kidnappings in the country with 2966 incidents in 2005 while Bihar was on the second spot'', Mr Tiwari said.

He also narrated the recent killing of a 13 year school boy Ankit in the state capital by his abductors and demanded adequate compensation for the family members.

Replying to the motion, state parliamentary affairs minister Mohammad Azam Khan, contradicting the claim of the Congress members, said that only 98 kidnappings for ransom had been reported this year so far.

'' Only 204 cases of kidnappings were reported in 2004 and 118 in 2005 in the state'', he said.

Though admitting that it was unfortunate that Ankit was killed by the kidnappers, the minister said it was a crime done by 'amateur' criminals, who have been since arrested.

UNI