Uttar Pradesh, 433 extrajudicial executions since election of new chief minister
The numbers were released by the Lucknow government, which was formed in March. In his election campaign, Yogi Adityananth promised to reduce the crime. Between January and August, about 3,000 sexual assaults.
Lucknow (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The government of Uttar Pradesh, northern India, is accused of having carried out hundreds of extrajudicial executions in just six months: for the sake of accuracy, 433. The numbers were disseminated by nationalists in government, led by the Bjp (Bharatiya Janata Party) of Chief Minister Yogi Adityananth, elected in March, to boost public opinion. In his electoral campaign, Adityananth had promised to reduce the crime in the state. But once released, the figures sparked a general protest movement that has even led the Lucknow authorities to rename the executions as extrajudicial: instead of "dead", they now term them people who have died in "encounters" with the police.
Some policemen, interviewed by BBC speaking under anonymity, believe that the rise in extra-judicial executions is "jeopardizing public order." A young policeman asserts that "encounters only give more points to the police, but they do not help to create the credibility of the government."
Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state of India, with 222 million inhabitants, and also one that sends most deputies to the Union Parliament (80 members). At a press conference, authorities described "encounters" as an important "result" that proves "an improvement in the state of public order."
Many complain that there has been no progress in security in the area given the numerous cases of violence, rape and rebellion. State crime figures show that sexual violence is on the increase: between January and August 2017 3,000 cases were recorded, while in the same period of 2016 there were 2,376. Despite the "anti-Romeo squads", watchdog groups created by the new chief minister against molesters attacking couples in public gardens, harassment against women has grown. Likewise, there are numerous episodes of intolerance and discrimination against the Dalits (formerly untouchables).
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07/12/2018 12:46
