The temple town of Mathura was on edge on Friday with the death toll in Thursday’s clashes rising to 26, as the Centre stepped in and sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government. Over 368 people have been detained over the violence that claimed the lives of an SP and an SHO, among others.
Union home minister Rajnath Singh spoke to UP chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who has ordered an inquiry by the Agra divisional commissioner. Speaking in Barabanki on Friday, the CM admitted “some lapses” by the police in Mathura.
Earlier, Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju had said in New Delhi there were “lapses” on the part of the state government.
The violence once again brought into focus the fragile law and order situation in UP, with the BJP, Congress, BSP and others accusing the ruling Samajwadi Party government of unleashing “goonda raj” in the state.
The violence erupted as the police tried to evict illegal occupants, believed to be members of a “cult” calling itself Swadheen Bharat Andolan, from Jawahar Bagh in Mathura. The encroachers lobbed hand grenades and opened fire with automatic weapons at the police.
DC Take: There cannot be two opinions about the fact that the obscure group which the police went to take on in Mathura proved to be much stronger and lethal than estimated by the administration. To cut a long story short, police had not done their homework enough in its effort to contain a godman’s empire which is worth over Rs 12,000 crore.
