Mathura violence: UP government’s intention clear, panel will find truth, says Akhilesh Yadav

He was speaking to reporters after visiting the family of SP (City) Mukul Dwivedi, who was killed during the drive to evict squatters from Jawahar Bagh. The squatters, members of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Satyagrah, were led by Ram Vriksh Yadav, who too was killed in the clashes.

Refuting the allegations that Ram Vriksh Yadav was his relative, Akhilesh said: “Neither me nor anyone in my family has any association with Ram Vriksh. Not all Yadavs are my relatives”.

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Asserting that his government was not “hiding” anything as its intentions were “clear”, he urged other parties not to politicise the issue. “This incident should not be politicised. Those who are doing it, I want to remind them that such incidents have happened under their watch as well,” he said, apparently referring to BJP, which has accused his government of going slow in the probe.

Terming it a “breach of trust”, he condemned a sting operation conducted by a TV channel on a few policemen in Mathura. “It is very easy to conduct a sting operation these days. The government has acted on intelligence report,” he said.

While expressing happiness that the Allahabad High Court’s order of evicting the squatters was implemented, he said there was “a delay in action but it is because we wanted to save the women and children living there, who were no less than thousand in number”.

On the death of Dwivedi during the clashes, he said the officer had gone to Jawahar Bagh to conduct a recce, and not an operation, when he was attacked.

Earlier, while handing over a compensation cheque of Rs 50 lakh and appointment letter of Officer On Special Duty to Dwivedi’s wife Archana, Akhilesh assured all help to the family which also demanded a house.

Dwivedi’s brother Prafull told The Indian Express that they have handed over a list of demands to the CM and he has assured to consider them. He said Archana has been attached to the UP DGP’s office in Lucknow.

Akhilesh said he would soon visit the house of SHO Santosh Kumar Yadav, who too was killed in the incident.