BJP has arrived in UP, 'changed' police arrests Gayatri Prajapati

Lucknow: Was is just a coincidence or announcement of the arrival of new regime in the state that Gaytari Prajapati, the tainted minister of Akhilesh Yadav cabinet, was nabbed soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Uttar Pradesh ?

UP Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Daljit Chaudhary and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manzil Saini may have been claiming that the arrest was made after a close surveillance but the same police could not arrest him before or during the elections. The question doing round in the social circles cast an aspersion upon the functioning of police in this regard on the manner he was allowed to contest, though unsuccessfully, the UP assembly polls from Amethi constituency.

The action of UP police and Special Task Force (STF) is being seen as a prelude to the things to follow in the new regime. It was for the everyone to see and experience how the UP Police had been under the influence of party in the power and even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the police stations of UP run as Samajwadi Party offices.

In the way, 'thanas' were headed, mostly, by members of particular caste and manifested partisan behaviour at the behest of political masters, the change was inevitable and the arrest of Gaytari has been the trigger point for the overhaul. So much so that PM and the BJP President Amit Shah had to point out the conduct of district police in varanasi, Nitin Tiwari being in charge of the district police.

Prajapati, who is also facing a CBI probe in the illegal mining scam, was wanted in a gang rape case and was absconding since February 27 last. The BJP national president Amit Shah, during his election speeches had raised the partisan functioning of UP police and declared that he would be arrested soon after the BJP came to power which precisely happened.

The action of Lucknow police to raid his residence immediately after the UP polls was also seen as an eye wash as it was expected that he would not be found there. It was only after the Akhilesh Yadav government was dethroned, the police came into action and arrested him.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had to intervene to get a FIR registered against Prajapati on the charge of gang rape of a SP activist but his arrest was avoided so as to enable him to contest UP assembly polls.