On Tuesday, a commotion erupted at the Akbarpur police station in Kanpur Dehat when Pratibha Shukla, Minister of State for Women's Welfare and Child Development in the Uttar Pradesh government, arrived at the station with the support of BJP workers and immediately staged a sit-in protest. The Minister made serious allegations against Station House Officer (SHO) Satish Singh, stating that he had registered a false and fabricated case against BJP workers under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Minister demanded a fair investigation into the matter and strict action against the culprits. The protest, which lasted for about five hours, became a challenge for the administration. Eventually, the district administration ordered the removal of the outpost in-charge and the initiation of a departmental inquiry against the SHO, after which the Minister ended the sit-in.
This is the Yogi Government
Minister Pratibha Shukla stated clearly that this is not the Samajwadi Party government, but the government of Yogi Adityanath, where fabricated cases against BJP workers will not be tolerated. She alleged that some officers are working under political pressure and trying to implicate party workers unnecessarily.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sikandra) Priya Singh tried several times to persuade the Minister at the protest site, but she remained firm on her demands. The Minister said that the sit-in would continue until the Superintendent of Police arrived on the spot and publicly clarified the situation. She also said that she had never complained to the police in the past 25 years, but now it was a matter of her honor and she wanted to know under whose pressure the case had been registered.
Investigating Officer Appointed
District Magistrate Alok Singh informed that in view of the seriousness of the situation after the Minister's protest, orders have been given to investigate against SHO Satish Singh. Additionally, Additional Superintendent of Police Rajesh Pandey has been appointed as the investigating officer and asked to submit a detailed report soon.
Following this incident, there has been increased activity in political circles. Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav also targeted the Yogi government over this, saying that when ministers from the ruling party are angry with the police, it is difficult to imagine the situation of the common people.
Former MP also participated in the protest
During the protest, the Minister's husband and former MP Anil Shukla was also present with her. He was seen talking on the phone to a senior cabinet minister in the government, expressing his displeasure over the entire matter. His presence gave the protest a more serious political dimension.
This incident not only caused concern for the administration but also exposed the dissatisfaction and internal conflicts within the BJP. Now, all eyes are on what comes out in the investigation report and what action is taken against the culprits.
