Minister Rajbhar lashes out at Yogi govt, claims law and order reduced to a joke in UP

Lashing out at his own government over the alleged killing of a tech company executive by a policeman, an Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister claimed Monday that the Yogi Adityanath government had "completely failed" on the law and order front.

Uttar Pradesh Minister of Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment, Om Prakash Rajbhar, also demanded a CBI probe in the killing of 38-year-old Vivek Tiwari, who was allegedly shot Saturday in Lucknow by a constable when he was going to drop his colleague Sana Khan.

Rajbhar, who leads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a key BJP ally in UP, also alleged that the police was trying to "cover up" the matter.

"A common citizen was murdered by the police. In the name of encounter, the police takes money, and kills people. Crime is making its presence felt in the state, while law and order situation has become a joke. Yogi ji has neither been successful in reducing crime in the state nor he has been able to make the people feel that they are safe," Rajbhar alleged in a tweet.

The minister claimed the state government had "failed completely" on the law and order front.

"There should be a CBI probe in this, and stringent action must be initiated against the guilty. Police is trying to cover up the matter," the minister said referring to Vivek Tiwari's killing.

Another Uttar Pradesh minister Brijesh Pathak had Sunday hit out at the state police "for showing laxity" and "hushing up" the killing of the tech company executive in Lucknow's posh Gomti Nagar neighbourhood.

Apple executive Vivek Tiwari was shot dead early Saturday morning by a policeman when he allegedly refused to stop his car.