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Updated: Dec 30, 2018 17:28 IST

Even as the police arrested 11 people, the ruling BJP government in Uttar Pradesh came under criticism on Sunday morning in connection with the death of police constable Suresh Vats in stone pelting at Ghazipur on Saturday.

Vats had been deployed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Ghazipur and was returning from the event when the incident took place.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the incident took place because the Yogi Adityanath government knows only one language, that of violence.

“Ye ghatna isliye ghati hai kyunki CM sadan mein ho ya manch pe ho unki ek hi bhasha hai ‘thok do’. Kabhi police ko nahi samjh aata kise ‘thokna’ hai kabhi janta ko nahi samajh aata kise ‘thokna’ hai (This incident took place because the CM, whether he is in the assembly or on a stage, he only talks about violence. Sometimes the police doesn’t know who to beat up, other times the public doesn’t know who to beat up,” Yadav said.

Meanwhile, the son of the slain police constable blamed the police for his father’s death.

Venting his ire over the Uttar Pradesh Police, VK Singh, the deceased constable’s son, told ANI, “If the police are not able to protect their co-workers then what sort of protection can a common man expect from them.”

Singh also said that none of the dignitaries who were present at the PM’s rally came forward to help. “A video of the incident was posted on youtube. One can see when the rally ended, the clashes broke out and near the incident spot several VIPs sitting in their cars were passing. Not even a single dignitary who was passing by stopped the car and tried to resolve the issue. Everybody was concerned about saving their own lives,” he said.

He further said that by merely giving compensation or providing a government job to the kin of the deceased is not going to curb the problems of crime and violence. “Earlier, similar incidents took place in Bulandshahr and Pratapgarh. How can the government compensate for the lost lives?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, Additional Director General Varanasi Zone PV Rama Sastry said on Sunday that 11 people had been arrested in connection with the stone pelting incident in which police constable Suresh Vats died. Sastry further said that an FIR has been registered against 32 persons by their name and 80 unidentified persons in the incident.

Earlier, police sources said that a case has been registered against 12 persons by their name and several unidentified men in connection with police constable Suresh Vats’s death in the stone pelting at Kathwa in Ghazipur. Two civilians were also injured in the stone pelting.

Taking note of the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife of the deceased. He also directed the police officials and district magistrate to take strict action against the unruly elements and make an immediate arrest in the case.

Vats is the second policeman to have died in mob violence this month.

UP director general of police OP Singh has said that Saturday’s incident had nothing to do with the PM’s rally. Singh said the stone pelting was carried out by the Nishad Party’s workers who were demanding the release of four of their workers who had been arrested on Saturday morning for blocking the road.