Main accused of Sonbhadra clash has SP links: Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday reiterated that the main accused of the Sonbhadra clash had links with the Samajwadi Party and promised to take stringent action against him.

Replying to a question raised by SP’s Amit Yadav during the Question Hour in the UP Legislative Council, Adityanath said the law and order situation in the state has been strengthened and there should be no doubts about it.

“The encouraging results which have come in terms of investment in the state are a result of better law and order situation,” he said.

To Yadav’s question about incidents of crime in the state from March 1 to March 15, Adityanath said, “We have not even completed two-and-half years in power, but in this duration, communal amity has been its best.”

He also made a reference to the Sonbhadra clash saying, “As far as the deaths of 10 people in the clash are concerned, it gives me immense pain to share that the evidence which has emerged dates back to 1955.”

“At that time, a Congress leader had grabbed the land of forest dwellers and tribals by registering it in the name of a public trust. Later in 1989, the land was registered in the name of family members,” he alleged.

Adityanath said the land was then purchased by village pradhan Yagyadutt Bhotia, who is the main accused in the clash.

“The murderer is linked to Samajwadi Party, and we will take stringent action against him,” he said.

On this, Samajwadi Party members protested and the party’s Shatrudra Prakash said the chief minister has no right to speak about the incident as it is the Question Hour and only questions and answers are allowed.

“There is no reference to the Sonbhadra incident in the question, hence it is not right for the chief minister to speak on this. He can speak at length about it when an adjournment notice is brought in the House,” Prakash said.

Adityanath then took his seat and after some time left the House.