AAP criticises UP government over party workers’ arrest

Ghaziabad, Aug 6 (IANS) Lambasting the Samajwadi Party-led Uttar Pradesh government over party workers’ arrest, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh on Saturday said the government could not control crime in the state.

In a press conference here, Singh said the Akhilesh Yadav-led government could not control land grabbing in Mathura and rapes in Badaun, Mohan Lal Ganj and Bulandshahr.

He also said that the Uttar Pradesh government is responsible for 600 communal riots in the state and is curbing constitutional rights of citizens.

A case was registered against AAP activists for taking out a march and burning an effigy of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to protest the Bulandshahr gang rape case on Wednesday, police said on Thursday.

Elaborating on the incident, Singh told media persons that police booked AAP volunteers under heinous sections of the IPC in Ghaziabad.

“Although it was a state level agitation against the Bulandshahr rape case, Ghaziabad District Magistrate (DM) Nidhi Kesarwani was the only officer who booked the AAP volunteers under heinous sections of IPC,” he said.

“She has passed illegal orders of restraining agitation at the collectorate by seeking prior permission,” Singh added.

“We shall inform the DM about the agitation at the collectorate to be held on August 8, 2016 but would not seek permission. She should remember it is a democratic country, agitation is the constitutional right of the citizens. Such an order is illegal in a court of law,” he said.

The AAP leader also said that the DM must know that “the AAP is born from the womb of the agitation and we not scared of such threats”.