A spurt in criminal incidents in the state capital of Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the last few days has taken the wind out of the sail of Yogi Adityanath Government’s much hyped claims of improvement in law and order. It has also given Lucknow the sobriquet of the crime capital of UP.

These incidents are a wake up call for the state government as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been saying that law and order has improved after the new government assumed power. He even patted the backs of police for killing criminals in a series of encounters, particularly in western Uttar Pradesh.

But, a series of incidents, particularly in Lucknow, have taken the sheen out of the police’s armour as they have not only failed to protect people but have also failed to arrest criminals.

Sample this:

On January 18, an attempt was made to kill a six-year- old student in a private school in Lucknow.

On January 19, a family was attacked in Chinhat area, in the outskirts of Lucknow. Two teenage girls were abducted but later released. No one has been arrested so far.

On January 20, miscreants attacked the residence of a trader. The wife of the trader was killed and they decamped with jewellery and cash. Police have failed to make any arrest so far.

On January 21, in a daring act, dacoits struck in a big way in two villages in Kakori, 20 kms from Lucknow. A 20-year-old youth was killed and over a dozen injured. No one has been arrested so far.

In case of all these incidents, the police reportedly reached the crime spot after an hour of the crime despite the government’s claim that UP 100 vehicles will reach a crime spot within 8-10 minutes of receiving information. What is more shameful is that when the dacoits were looting people, someone had informed the police and the police picket van reached the village but waited outside and entered the village only after the dacoits left.

Ram Murat Singh, of Badiakheda village in Kakori, told reporters that police did not take any action. Had they reached the village in time, it could have saved the life of the 20-year-old youth.

Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Ajay Kumar Lallu, said the Congress has been saying for the last many months that there has been a complete breakdown of law and order but no one believed them. “If Lucknow is not safe, how can one think of police giving protection to people in far-flung areas like Sidharth Nagar or Meerut,” he told National Herald.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav declared that jungle raj was back in Uttar Pradesh. The police have lost the zeal to act because of politicisation of this force. “The government is trying to attract investment but when law and order is so bad, how and why people will invest in UP,” he asked.