Akhilesh Yadav Condemns Encounters as Injustice Against PDA in UP

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday, alleging that the statistics of encounters during the BJP rule reflect illegal killings and injustices against the PDA. He claimed that 60 per cent of those killed in police encounters belonged to the PDA, which includes backward classes, Dalits, and minorities. However, he did not provide a source for this data.

Focus on PDA

Yadav introduced the term PDA ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He reiterated his stance on social media, stating in Hindi that the encounter statistics during BJP rule also represent injustices against the PDA. His comments come in light of recent events involving Mangesh Yadav, a suspect in a significant robbery who allegedly died after a police encounter.

The SP chief has previously criticised the state's police for being overly aggressive. His latest remarks were prompted by the death of Mangesh Yadav, who was implicated in a Rs 1.5 crore jewellery store robbery in Sultanpur. Akhilesh Yadav has termed this encounter as fake, suggesting it was influenced by caste considerations.

Data Presentation

On Tuesday night, Yadav shared a bar chart illustrating statistics of accused individuals killed in fake encounters. According to this chart, 125 people were killed, with 60 per cent belonging to the PDA, 19 per cent to other groups, and data unavailable for 21 per cent. The chart did not cite any sources for this information.

Despite these allegations, UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar refuted them on Monday. He stated that no partiality is practised by the state police. "Police do not do such things... When bullets are fired on police, those who have faced such situations, who are our former officers, all of them know about it... I deny all such things and the police take action completely impartially," he told reporters in Lucknow.

Akhilesh Yadav's criticism highlights ongoing concerns about police conduct in Uttar Pradesh. The debate over encounter killings continues to be a contentious issue as political leaders and law enforcement officials present differing views on the matter.