UP: Poster on Rajbhar killings sparks row; minister dares SP to name accused

A poster at the Samajwadi Party office on alleged killings of Rajbhars under BJP rule sparked a political row. UP Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar challenged the SP to name the accused, while Akhilesh Yadav slammed the Yogi govt over fake encounters.

Poster on Rajbhar Killings Sparks Political Row

A poster put up outside the Samajwadi Party office alleging killings of members of the Rajbhar community under the BJP government between 2024 and 2026 sparked a political controversy in Uttar Pradesh. Reacting to the poster, Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar said the Samajwadi Party should also specify the identity of those accused in the murders.

He further said that the people putting up such banners should mention alongside the victims' names who was allegedly responsible for the crimes. "They should also clearly identify who the perpetrator of the murder is. In Barabanki, when a Samajwadi Party leader commits a murder in broad daylight, they should clearly state this fact that it was a Yadav who committed the killing... The people putting up these Samajwadi Party banners should also clearly state next to the victims' names exactly who the killer was, that it was a Yadav who killed them... These are merely the loaders of the Samajwadi Party," he said.

Akhilesh Yadav Slams Govt Over 'Fake Encounters'

Earlier on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had launched a sharp attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, alleging that a "criminal apparatus" had been created through fake encounters and accusing the BJP government of misusing police personnel for political purposes.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav alleged that the government abandons police personnel after using them in encounter cases. Referring to the Gorakhpur fake encounter case, the Samajwadi Party chief claimed that several policemen were jailed while the government distanced itself from them. "An entire criminal apparatus has been built through fake encounters. Some lawyers exaggerate and tell fabricated stories regarding fake encounters. When the police get trapped in fake encounters, the government turns its back on them. Today, many policemen are in jail due to the Gorakhpur fake encounter case. The BJP government turns its back after punishing the guilty policemen in fake encounters. The government is using police personnel for its own benefit. Policemen should realize that in the future, even their own families will consider them murderers," Yadav said. (ANI)

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