Law and order clearly slipping from Centre's hands: Congress on Lucknow encounter

Following the major gunfight in Lucknow ahead of the final phase of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress Party in Wednesday said that the incident shows that the law and order is not in the control of the Central Government.

"This shows a serious law and order problem which is prevailing in the country. The election means every inch of the state is under the surveillance of the law enforcing authorities. Inspire of that, if a terrorist attack can happen when the Prime Minister and all the senior leaders are there, under the nose of law enforcing authorities shows the seriousness of the situation," Congress leader P.C. Chacko told ANI here.

Chacko further said that no matter what explanation Home Minister Rajnath Singh gives on the situation, the fact is that the law and order is not in the control of the current government.

Earlier this morning, Security forces gunned down a terrorist early in an operation that lasted for nearly 10 hours in the thickly-populated Thakurganj area of Lucknow.

Reports suggest that the terrorist was linked to the explosion on a train in Madhya Pradesh which injured nine people on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, it was said that two terrorists had holed up in a house and refused to surrender, however, Additional Director General (ADG) of Police of Uttar Pradesh Daljeet Choudhary confirmed to ANI that only one man was in the building and that he has been neutralised.

"After opening the door (of the building the terrorists had holed up in), the forces had gone inside and found one person dead. The suspect was found dead inside the house with weapons. During the operation it was felt at one point of time that there was more than one person, but it is confirmed that there was only one man. The operation stands closed and now the rest of the legal formalities will take place," he said.

Speaking to the media from the scene of the encounter, Uttar Pradesh Anti Terror Squad (ATS) Inspector General Aseem Arun revealed that the neutralised terrorist was a member of the ISIS Khorasan module.