Ghazipur violence: Akhilesh trains gun at Yogi, says "thoko neeti" reason behind cop's killing

Lucknow, Dec 30: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the death of police constable Suresh Vats in stone pelting at Ghazipur on Saturday. Yadav said that Adityanath's "thoko neeti" (encounter policy) was responsible for the policeman's death.

Yadav said that the incident took place because the Yogi Adityanath government knows only one language, that of violence.

"Ye ghatna isliye ghati hai kyunki CM sadan mein ho ya manch pe ho unki ek hi bhasha hai 'thok do'. Kabhi police ko nahi samjh aata kise 'thokna' hai kabhi janta ko nahi samajh aata kise 'thokna' hai (This incident took place because the CM, whether he is in the assembly or on a stage, he only talks about violence. Sometimes the police doesn't know who to beat up, other times the public doesn't know who to beat up," reports quoted Yadav as saying.

Vats was on duty at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Ghazipur and was returning from the event when the incident took place.

Eleven people were arrested on Sunday in connection with the killing of a police constable by a stone-pelting mob in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur. Constable Suresh Vats (48) from Karimuddinpur police station was hit on the head by a stone when he went to end a traffic jam caused by the protests. He was immediately taken to hospital, but he succumbed to injuries.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the dead constable and Rs 10 lakh for his parents, the state government said. He also directed the district magistrate and the superintendent of police to take strict action against unruly elements and immediately arrest them.

The death comes less than a month after the killing of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was shot dead during mob violence in Bulandshahr district over alleged cow slaughter.