CM acknowledges police were unprepared

Opposition criticizes Akhilesh Yadav government

Police say firing was "unprovoked"

BJP alleges protestors close to Samajwadi Party

"No politics over dead", Congress says

Slain cop's mother rejects compensation

With inputs from Agencies

Mathura violence death toll now 24, opposition blames Akhilesh govt

MATHURA: The death toll in the violence in Mathura reached 24, even as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ruled out a CBI inquiry into the incident in the face of some opposition parties' allegations that the violent protestors enjoyed state government patronage.Of the 24 killed, two were policemen. As many as 23 police personnel have been hospitalized and many of them have suffered bullet injuries.Violence erupted on Thursday evening when police were trying to evict illegal occupants, believed to be from a group called Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena, from a park called Jawahar Bagh, on the direction of the Allahabad high court.While CM Yadav ruled out a CBI investigation into the incident, he acknowledged that the police were unprepared. He said that the police should have been "more prepared" before trying to evict the agitators."There were some lapses. Police should have gone with full preparation and after holding talks, but there was no information that they would be having so much (arms and ammunition)," Akhilesh told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Friday.He said an inquiry was being conducted by Agra Divisional commissioner and warned that those found guilty would not be spared.The BJP government at the Centre, on Friday, placed the blame squarely on the Yadav government. "There was lapse on the part of the Uttar Pradesh government," said minister of State Home Kiren Rijiju.The BJP also alleged that the killers of the two police officers enjoyed the "protection" of the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) and that the incident highlighted "lawlessness" in the state.Other opposition parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress also attacked the Yadav government.Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi said the incident is a stark reminder of the "deteriorating" law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.The Bahujan Samaj Party's chief Mayawati said the SP government should resign and take responsibility for the "unfortunate and painful" incident. She also demanded a time-bound judicial inquiry.UP's Director General of Police (DGP) Javed Ahmed said 22 of the 24 killed are "rioters." He said there was "unprovoked" firing by encroachers who pelted stones and attacked policemen with sticks when they arrived at the site to carry out the eviction."After two shelters were vacated, the protesters set fire to gas cylinders and ammunition stored there which led to several explosions," the DGP said."We have recovered 47 guns, six rifles and 178 hand grenades from the area," the DGP said, adding that "124 people have been arrested for creating disturbances. Another 196, including 116 women, have been arrested," he said."Ram Vriksh Yadav, Chandan Bose, Girish Yadav and Rakesh Gupta are the main culprits and leaders of this group and if alive they will be caught by the police," the DGP said, adding that 22 people killed in the violence are yet to be identified.BJP president Amit Shah sent national secretary Shrikant Sharma to take stock of the situation and said there should be a judicial probe into the violence.Sharma said killing police personnel is the "height of anarchy" and alleged that the cops were not prepared to control the mob. He further alleged that the cops "were under pressure from the administration to go easy as the land-grabbers had links" with the ruling SP."The ruling party first had over 280 acres of land captured by these criminals. The main conspirator in the case has full protection of the Samajwadi Party. Policemen were sent to the spot with their hands tied and this is why two of them died," Sharma said.Even as the opposition parties made the violent incident political, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that it was time the SP government "came out of its slumber" but cautioned against playing "politics over the dead".He said it was not the time "to score political brownie points" and added that efforts should be made to swiftly punish the guilty.In the meanwhile, the mother of one of the two slain Mathura police officer on Friday rejected the compensation offered her by the Uttar Pradesh government after her son was killed in the clashes on Thursday.Her son, Superintendent of Police Mukul Dwivedi, and Station House Officer Santosh Yadav were killed in Thursday's violence.The state government announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 20 lakh each for the families of the two policemen."I don't want money. The chief minister should bring back my son. The chief minister can take Rs 20 lakh from us, but please bring back my son. They sent my son to Mathura so that he gets killed. What will I do now? I have two sons, one is in Dubai. Before he was in Bareilly, but he was promoted to Mathura," Dwivedi's mother said.