Taking a jibe at the brittle law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, which was further illuminated recently after a Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA threatened the life of a journalist, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said that safety has become something of a joke under the state government.
Reacting to the disturbing development of Uttar Pradesh Minister Radhey Shyam Singh threatening the life of a local scribe, BJP leader S Prakash dubbed the entire episode as a "serious offence", while adding that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's government houses 'rowdy' elements.
"In Uttar Pradesh, law and order matters very less under the Samajwadi Party regime. Their MLAs and MP's are indulging in such a serious offence. The journalist belongs to a popular news paper of the state," Prakash told ANI here.
"The MLA cannot force a journalist to provide false publicity. It is unbecoming for a ruling party MLA to threaten a journalist. All rowdy elements are housed in Samajwadi party, anything can happen there," he added.
Manoj Giri, a journalist confessed he is still scared for his life, as the Samajwadi Party MLA had assured to end his life after the Assembly Elections in the state.
"I am still in fear and I have seen such acts before also, be it Shahjanpur case where journalists were burnt alive by those who were in power," Giri told ANI.
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"On Friday I was working in my office and around 2 p.m. Radhey Shyam called me on my mobile phone and started threatening me. He said that as soon as the elections will get over he will kill me," Giri said.
"No action is being taken into consideration. There is no spirit of rising against these acts. This has to stop," he added
Singh allegedly threatened to set a local journalist (Giri) on fire for not supporting him during the ongoing Assembly elections in the state. However, the politician has firmly denied the claim.
The journalist has filed a complaint with the police and has handed over the mobile audio of the alleged threat to the Superintendent of Police, Kushinagar, Raju Babu Singh.
In the past too, the minister has been accused of abusing and threatening local government officials over phone.