Lucknow: Four people were arrested in connection with the death of a eight-year-old boy in Shamli district in celebratory firing by SP workers after a local poll win even as the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday faced opposition flak over law and order situation in the state.
Lashing out at Samajwadi Party government over "lawlessness" in the state, the BJP called it a 'Mughal sultanate' which has issued licence to its "goons" to do what they want.
IG (Law and Order) Bhagwan Swaroop told reporters that four persons have been arrested in the firing incident. They were identified as Ehsan, Shadab, Raqib and Sadiq.
There was, however, no arrest in connection with the alleged attack on the two journalists from a leading English news channel, he said, adding investigation was underway.
In a tweet, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said: "met Mohammed Sami's family. saddened by their loss. We have arrested all those seen in TV footage firing in air."
As opposition BSP and BJP members slammed the state government in the Legislature on, what they called as, "deteriorating" crime position in the state, some members from Congress voiced resentment over the Shamli incident.
Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Swami Prasad Maurya told reporters that law and order situation in the state was in shambles and now even journalists were not safe.
SP leader and Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan refuted allegations that he or his aides had attacked two journalists from a leading English news channel and said it was an attempt by the opposition to tarnish the image of the ruling party.
Hasan has been booked along with 30 of his supporters for allegedly threatening the two journalists who had gone to cover the killing of eight-year-old Sami, who was passing by Kairana area in a rickshaw, in the firing on Sunday.
The workers were celebrating the victory of party candidate Nafisa in the local body polls from the town.
Hasan has been served a show-cause notice by his party, while the victorious block pramukh was expelled.
A complaint was lodged against Hasan and his 30 supporters in connection with the attack on the two journalists following a complaint against him and others at Kairana police station.
The case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 342 (wrongful confinement), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and under IT Act after a photographer, Mukesh, lodged a complaint in this connection, police said.
The UP unit of BJP alleged that the attack on media persons was a "planned" assault which indicated "anarchy" in the state.
In Delhi, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma challenged Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to recommend a CBI probe into the killing of Sami, murder of a B Tech girl student and other incidents if "you have any morality left".
Sharma lashed out at the SP government over "lawlessness" in the state and dubbed it as a 'Mughal sultanate' which has issued licence to its "goons" to do what they want.
