Opposition parties attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Tuesday, saying he was "enjoying" a laser show and presenting kabaddi prizes in Gorakhpur when Bulandshahr was rocked by violence.
Demanding Adityanath's resignation, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress deplored him for attending the events rather than promptly reviewing the law and order in the state in the wake of the violence on Monday.
Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who had probed the Akhlaq lynching case initially, and a 20-year-old local had died of gunshot injuries on Monday as a rampaging mob protesting alleged cow slaughter torched a police post and clashed with the cops in Bulandshahr.
UPCC spokesperson Ashok Singh said, "Instead of enjoying a laser show and later giving away prizes at a kabbadi event in Gorakhpur, Adityanath should have been in Lucknow."
The opposition parties said the law and order in the state is in shambles.
"Adityanath should resign on moral grounds. Who is responsible for the 'goonda raj' in the state? Law and order situation in UP is in shambles," Singh said.
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Echoing similar views, SP spokesperson Sunil Singh Sajan said, "Adityanath was seen in the midst of 'light, camera and action' in Gorakhpur last night."
Sajan said that Addiyanath should resign as "he is unable to manage the state of affairs in the state".
SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said in a statement that when UP was burning in the fire of anarchy, the chief minister was busy seeking votes for his party in other poll-bound states.
"It is like Nero fiddles, when Rome burns," he said.
Adityanath, along with his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh, had last night attended a sound and light show on Nath sect in Gorakhpur, the video footage of which went viral on TV news channels.
The 45-minute sound and light show prepared by the tourism department is based on history and glory of Nath sect, to which the chief minister belongs.
Adityanath later distributed prizes at a kabaddi meet in Gorakhpur.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati too blamed the "irresponsible and wrong" policies of the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh for the mob violence in Bulandshahr district.
"Killing of (an) inspector and one other person in Bulandshahr violence is due to (the) irresponsible and wrong policies of the state government. Strict action should be taken against those involved in the act so that people can feel that there is a government here.
"Due to patronising of unscrupulous elements by the BJP, there is 'jungle raj' in the state," Mayawati said.
Rejecting the Opposition's charges, UP BJP media co-convenor Navin Srivastava said that Adityanath had immediately directed Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) S B Shiradkar to reach the spot and submit his complete probe report in two days.
Adityanath also announced financial assistance to the slain inspector's family, he pointed out, maintaining there was no laxity on the part of the chief minister.
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