Uttar Pradesh state minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was booked for the murder of a senior police officer. Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia-ul Haq was killed in Balipur village in Pratapgarh district, over 100 km from Lucknow Saturday night, during violence that followed the murder of the village head Nanhe Yadav and his brother. UP has seen a serious breakdown of law and order ever since the Samajwadi Party had come to power in the State. Cadres of the party have been on the rampage following the Party’s victory in March last year. Akhilesh Yadav the young chief minister does not seem to have the reins of governance in his hands. Meanwhile Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former chief minister of UP, Mayawati, has called for President’s Rule in the State citing complete breakdown of law and order. Mayawati has been waiting for such a situation to assert that the SP has lost control over UP.
Raja Bhaiya is alleged to have instigated the killing of the Dy SP. He has since stepped down and even called for a CBI probe. Today the plaint of the opposition BSP is that if police officers are themselves not safe then the common person is even more insecure. Despite allegations of corruption and other acts of nepotism by the BSP supremo, including putting up her own statues in different places, law and order had been established under Mayawati’s regime. She therefore has a legitimate reason to ask for central intervention for the situation in UP is spiralling out of control.
Increasingly we are seeing lawmakers in this country being involved in criminal acts but the law fails to take cognisance of their acts of omission and commission. In UP several legislators have criminal records but pending serious electoral reforms, these individuals continue to be law makers which is ironic. If the laws are strict with respect to employment of anyone with a police record in the Government then why should those with criminal charges occupy the hallowed space of the legislature? Are legislators not expected to be models of propriety in public life? In India we seem to have made a complete mockery of democracy by electing rogues and ruffians. Clearly Indian democracy is on the downslide and our hard won freedom is in danger of being throttled by the class we have elected to represent us in parliament and legislatures.