‘Why kill innocent? What about the secrets?’ Killing of Vikas Dubey garners mixed reactions from opposition

Not many are happy with Vikas Dubey meeting his fate yesterday morning after he killed 8 police personnel a week ago in Kanpur’s Bikru village when the team was on its way to arrest the gangster for his involvement in a recent murder case. The police team was ambushed and came under heavy fire, resulting in eight personnel getting killed. Ever since the UP-state administration and police department had made it a mission to nab the gangster and bring him to justice.

Two days ago, Vikas Dubey was arrested by Madhya Pradesh Police in Ujjain. He was subsequently handed over to the Uttar Pradesh Police. While the UP Police was transporting the man to Kanpur, the car carrying the gangster met with an accident, during which he attempted to flee the scene, and had even allegedly snatched a pistol from personnel and fired shots. This forced the police to put the man down.

The encounter is being called an orchestrated one by the Opposition, however, even in such a case, there is no clear-cut unity which can be seen in the opposition camp. The only two parties which seem to have gone all guns blazing against the Yogi government and state police department seem to be the Samajwadi Party (of which Dubey was previously a member) and the Congress. Rahul Gandhi seems to have found a new liking for shaayris, and as such, he took to Twitter in a poetic mood and said:

His sister, who is allegedly shifting to Lucknow after having been booted out of her palatial government bungalow in New Delhi, said, “The criminal has gone, but what about the crime and those protecting him.” On behalf of the Congress, she demanded an SC-monitored inquiry into the encounter by a sitting judge. BSP supremo Mayawati, who is increasingly siding with the BJP these days, also suggested action on similar lines, though her response was very calculated. Vadra, meanwhile, did not hesitate from ranting against Yogi Adityanath. “The government’s own figures show that UP is number one in crimes against children, Dalits, women, illegal arms and weapons, murders…They have big businesses and commit crimes with impunity. The entire state knows that they receive protection from the people in power.”

Trinamool Congress’ Mahua Moitra, meanwhile, took to Twitter to say, “In case it has escaped some of us…the police aren’t supposed to kill guilty people either.” In another tweet, the serial plagiarist added, “It is the job of the courts to deliver justice. It is the job of the police to deliver the accused. Shocking that India under BJP has confused the two.”

Interestingly though, Shiv Sena came out in wholehearted support of the Yogi government and police for their action against gangster Vikas Dubey. Sanjay Raut said, “Dubey had killed eight policemen. Attack on the uniform means there is no law and order. Taking strict action is the need of that states police be it in Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh…There is no need to shed tears over the killing of Dubey in an encounter. Why is the police action being questioned?”

The most upset, however, was socialist Akhilesh Yadav. While on Aaj Tak, Akhilesh said, “Kya nirdosh aadmi ko marna, custodial death ho jana, ye kanoon vyavasta kahenge aap (is killing an innocent man in custody a sign of proper law and order?)

On India Today, however, Yadav alleged that Vikas Dubey was affiliated with the BJP and had strong connections with the ruling party.

The opposition knows not how to react to the encounter of Vikas Dubey. As such, what is being seen is a confused lot of people knowing not what to say, and how to say it.