Even as Uttar Pradesh Police has unleashed firepower against criminals, killing them in alleged encounters, it has failed to tame BJP leaders who have thrashed policemen inside police stations questioning why ruling party supporters are being arrested.

On Saturday, Station Officer of Tewa Police out post in Kaushambi district was manhandled by the BJP district secretary, while a day earlier BJP’s leader in Bareilly beat up police officers and constables inside a police station, demanding a person who was arrested for uploading sleazy pictures of the wife of a daroga be released.

“BJP goondas are now calling the shots in UP. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has claimed that law and order has improved. How can it actually improve when BJP workers and leaders are acting like goonda and beating up policemen,” Congress legislature party leader in Uttar Pradesh Ajay Kumar Lalu said.

BJP leaders are red faced over these developments. The Government is yet to come out of the shock Kasganj flame-up where a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ carried out by rightwing leaders took a communal turn, leading to death of a 22-year-old youth. After this incident, a series of ‘Tiranga Yatras’ was seen across the state.

To shake off its image of helplessness, UP police started a string of encounters and in last the 72 hours at least 21 encounters took place in which 28 criminals were arrested and one gangster killed. After these encounters BJP leaders and ministers issued separate statements saying that criminals have no place in UP. They even advised criminals and anti-social elements to either leave UP or be killed.

Unfortunately, the BJP leaders forgot to issue any advisory for its own workers and district level leaders who went on a rampage attacking policemen. In the Kaushambi case, the police inspector of Tewa outpost Ramjeet Gaud alleged that District Secretary of BJP Sajan Maurya wanted release of a murder suspect who was detained by police on Sunday. “When I refused, he entered into a scuffle. He tore my dress and damaged the wireless (walky-talky) and threatened to take action against me,” the inspector said in his written complaint.

Maurya on his part alleged that police has picked up an innocent man and when he tried to reason it out, the inspector entered into a scuffle. “We are jan pratinidhi [people’s representatives]. If people are in distress we will listen to them,” he said.

In Bareilly too, BJP leaders created a ruckus. The police had detained a man suspected of uploading sleazy pictures of the wife of a daroga on Facebook. Following a complaint, the suspect Nitin Pandey was detained but by evening BJP leaders led by city general secretary Mohit Kapoor attacked Gulabnagar police station. They damaged property and demanded action against the policemen who had arrested Nitin. To defuse the situation, senior officers have sent a constable back to police lines.

BJP spokesman Harish Srivastava said that what had happened is unfortunate. The police has been asked to take action against the guilty. If BJP leaders are at fault, action should also be taken against them, he said.

But so far, no action has been initiated against any BJP leader.