Double murder shifts focus to law and order in Budaun

Budaun: The brutal murder of two minor brothers here has become the talking point in the constituency ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with the Samajwadi Party targeting the BJP over the law and order situation while the saffron party asserting that “rapid police action” resulted in the death of the main accused. Located in western Uttar Pradesh, Budaun is considered the gateway to the Braj region from Rohailkhand.

Samajwadi Party, which is eyeing to reclaim the seat that it lost in 2019, has fielded Shivpal Singh Yadav as its candidate.

The BJP is yet to declare sitting MP Sanghamitra Maurya as its candidate for the Lok Sabha polls. While the political fervour was building up in the constituency, two minor brothers were hacked to death on Tuesday evening, sending shock waves across the district and the state.

The double murder has altered the political discourse in the constituency. Terming the murder as a “failure of law and order”, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said the lives of the two brothers could have been saved.

“The lives could have been saved had the police worked properly. They (BJP government) can’t hide their shortcomings, this encounter is not going to hide their failure,” Yadav had said.

Shivpal Yadav also attacked the government over the incident. “The incident in Budaun is very saddening but the law and order of the government has failed totally. This becomes clear by incidents like these,” Yadav had said. Maurya, who visited the house of the deceased boys on Wednesday, assured full support to the family members and accused the SP of doing politics over the issue.

“I condemn the murder of the two minor boys. Our family of the BJP is with the grieving family. I would just say to those people who are doing politics on the issue that this is not the time to do so,” she said.

“Samajwadi Party is doing politics on the issue because its so-called fort of Budaun was demolished by the people here in 2019.

The SP candidate must have seen that no one was there to ask about him in Budaun today. This is why they are doing politics on the issue,” Maurya said.

She was apparently referring to SP leader Shivpal Yadav, who first visited Budaun last week after his name was announced as the candidate for the Lok Sabha elections. Shivpal Yadav’s son and party leader Aditya Yadav had on Thursday met the family of the deceased brothers and also met the district magistrate and SSP to lodge a complaint against Maurya.

“BJP MP Sanghamitra Maurya made indecent, baseless and misleading remarks against our leader Shivpal Yadav. We have given a complaint to the DM and SSP in this regard. In the coming days, a team of our lawyers will file a defamation case also,” Aditya Yadav had said.