Akhilesh Yadav flays Yogi govt over former BJP MLA Udaybhan Karwariya's release

Lucknow, Jul 31 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over release of former BJP MLA Udaybhan Karwariya following his pardon by Governor Anandiben Patel, saying it has a chance to prove its so called policy of 'zero tolerance' against crime.

He also said the one who does not listen to the pleas of the helpless is not a government.

An additional sessions judge in Prayagraj sentenced Karwariya to life in prison on November 4, 2019 for the August 1996 murder of Samajwadi Party MLA Jawahar Yadav.

He was released on July 25 from Naini Jail, Prayagraj, following his pardon by the governor.

"The UP BJP government has a chance to prove its so-called policy of 'zero tolerance' against crime. Let's see who stands with 'justice'.Why should a third party bear the brunt of the internal politics of the BJP members? The one who does not listen to the pleas of the helpless is not a government," Yadav said in a post on X.

He posted a video titled "My husband's killers are being released" of Uttar Pradesh assembly in which SP MLA Vijma Yadav is raising the issues of release of her husband's killers in presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Talking to PTI Videos, Jawahar's wife Vijma Yadav, who is the Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Pratap Pur seat in Prayagraj, said: "My husband was killed in 1996. After struggle of 18 years I got justice from the court and the accused went to jail. Those who used AK-47 rifles for the first time in Prayagraj has been sent free by the BJP government." "My husband was killed. I want to say that I and my family can also be killed. The government says that 'gundaraj' (rule of Hooligans) has ended but those who fire from AK-47 are being freed. The governor is also a woman like me. For release, they said it was due to his good conduct. A lot of innocent people are lying in jails, then they should also be released," she said.

"I want to ask the chief minister that you are a well-wisher of the women so you should also consider what's happening with me," she added.

Vijma's husband Jawahar Yadav was shot dead in Prayagraj and a case was registered against Karwariya, his brothers Kapilmuni Karwariya and Surajbhan Karwariya and another.

The governor, using powers conferred on her under Article 161 of the Constitution, had passed an order to release Karwariya after accepting the state government's recommendation for his premature release.

Article 161 empowers the governor of a state to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any convict against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the state extends.

Prayagraj's senior superintendent of police and the district magistrate made the recommendation to release Karwariya, citing his good conduct in jail, officials said. PTI ABN AS AS