Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday mounted a strong defence of his government’s policing strategy, asserting that firm action against criminals was essential to restore public safety after years of lawlessness in the state.
Speaking at a public programme, Yogi said the police had been empowered to respond decisively when confronted with armed criminals. He remarked that if criminals resort to firing, the state has equipped the police accordingly and trained them to deal with offenders in a manner they understand.
The Chief Minister’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of police encounters in Uttar Pradesh. Only days ago, the Allahabad High Court expressed serious concern over the police practice of so-called half encounters. A bench led by Justice Arun Kumar Deshwal observed that some officers were allegedly resorting to firing for personal recognition, early promotions and social media publicity, and underlined that the authority to punish accused persons rests solely with the judiciary.
Reflecting on the situation before 2017, Yogi said the state had witnessed more than 900 riots between 2012 and 2017. He claimed curfews had become routine across cities and extortion was widespread. According to him, crime had penetrated everyday life, leaving traders and ordinary citizens under constant pressure. It was against this backdrop, he said, that his government adopted a zero-tolerance policy after he assumed office.
Yogi maintained that the law applies equally to everyone, irrespective of personal or political affiliations. He said there could be no distinction between one’s own people and hardened criminals when it comes to enforcing the law. Responding to criticism over police firing, he argued that inaction by the police would make it impossible to maintain law and order.
The Chief Minister said riots, kidnappings and extortion were rampant before 2017, forcing businessmen, doctors and traders to pay protection money. He added that insecurity had driven youth and companies out of the state. Without safety, he said, businesses could not survive, and migration from one’s native land was a painful reality many were forced to accept during that period.
Reiterating his government’s stance against selective enforcement, Yogi said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi entrusted him with the responsibility of leading the state in 2017, the focus was clear and uncompromising. Action, he said, was to be taken within the legal framework, but when criminals showed no fear of the law, swift measures became necessary to bring them under control.
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Yogi claimed that decisive action against mafias and criminal networks had created an environment in which development projects could move forward smoothly. He said incidents of riots, anarchy and hooliganism had disappeared, and Uttar Pradesh was now emerging as a preferred destination for investment. The fear and mistrust that once prevailed, he added, had largely faded.
He also remarked that the long absence of large-scale violence had led people to forget how riots once unfolded. As a result, he said, officials sometimes needed to conduct rehearsals to prepare for such situations, even asking people to demonstrate how protests or disturbances might occur, as a precautionary measure.
