Bahraich Encounter Part Of Yogi Adityanath's 'Thok Denge' Policy: Owaisi Slams UP CM

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over the Bahraich encounter.

Owaisi raised concerns about the actions of the Uttar Pradesh police, referencing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "thok denge" (shoot them) policy.

Photo Credit: PTI

Five individuals allegedly responsible for the Bahraich violence were apprehended following an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh police, during which two of the key suspects sustained gunshot injuries.

The police reported that the suspects were attempting to flee to Nepal, which borders the Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh.

Reacting to the incident, Owaisi argued that if the police had enough evidence, they should have pursued legal channels to punish the accused rather than relying on "extrajudicial measures."

"It's not hard to uncover the truth about the police 'encounter' of the accused in the Bahraich violence. Everyone is aware of Yogi's 'Thok Denge' policy," Owaisi wrote in a post on X.

"If the police had such strong evidence, they should have sought legal punishment for the accused," he added.

How the encounter unfolded?

According to Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar, the incident occurred while the police were taking the five accused for weapon recovery near the India-Nepal border.

"When the police were escorting the five arrested individuals for weapon recovery near the India-Nepal border, two of the suspects tried to escape," Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI.

"As they attempted to flee, shots were fired, and Mohammed Sarfaraz and Mohammed Talib were injured. Abdul Hameed, Fahim, and Abdul Afzal were arrested. In total, five individuals were apprehended. The situation is under control," he added.

Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, have questioned the UP government over the incident. Yadav alleged that the Yogi Adityanath-led administration is using encounters to cover up its failures.

"This incident was an administrative failure. The government is conducting encounters to hide their shortcomings. If encounters were genuinely improving law and order, Uttar Pradesh would be far ahead of other states... If permission for the procession had been granted, why wasn't it carried out peacefully? If they can't manage such a small event, how can they be expected to maintain law and order in the state?" Yadav told reporters, according to ANI.