Lynching, scribe burning, controversial remarks keep Uttar Pradesh in news

Lynching of a Muslim man over rumours of eating beef, alleged burning of a scribe, verbal duels between Governor Ram Naik and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders and controversial remarks by saffron leaders and firebrand state minister Azam Khan kept Uttar Pradesh in the national media in 2015.

 The lynching of 52-year old Mohammed Akhlaq at Bisara village in Greater Noida by a mob triggered a nationwide outrage and the Akhilesh Yadav government came under fierce attack from different quarters over its alleged failure to protect the minority community members.

Those, who had been arrested earlier, included son of a local BJP leader Sanjay Rana, whose supporters had allegedly instigated the mob.

The mob had forced the priest of a local temple to give a call on the loudspeaker to the other residents and gather near Akhlaq's house. UP Police filed a charge sheet in the case at the fag end of the year.

Journalist burnt to death
Alleged burning of a local scribe Jagendra Singh in UP’s Shahjahanpur district by some cops at the behest of a state minister evoked a sharp reaction from journalists and social activists. Singh was allegedly burnt to death after he wrote posts on the social media against a state minister.

A police investigation gave clean chit to the minister and claimed that Singh had committed suicide. The year would also be remembered for a series of controversial remarks by saffron leaders, including BJP MPs Yogi Adityanath and Sakshi Maharaj, and firebrand UP minister Azam Khan.

 Azam threatened to write to the United Nations on what he termed a conspiracy to turn India into a Hindu nation following the Bisara lynching and saffron leaders’ alleged provocative remarks.

War of words
The year also witnessed a verbal duel between UP Governor Ram Naik and SP leaders including party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav and Azam. Ram Gopal even suggested that Naik should be made a minister at the Centre. Azam accused him of working as an RSS agent.

Naik repeatedly expressed serious concern over alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state and said that he would send a report to the centre in this regard. Leaders launched a scathing attack on the former and even called him an RSS worker.

The issue of appointment of Lokayukta was also rocked by controversies after Naik  rejected the person recommended by the state government to be nominated for the post. Though the Supreme Court finally appointed the Lokayukta, it was stayed by the apex court later following objections.

A high court order directing that bureaucrats and ministers would have to get their children enrolled in the government primary schools also created ripples in the state.
 The year also witnessed a battle between the Akhilesh Yadav government and some senior bureaucrats.

The government suspended IPS officer Amitabh Thakur after the latter lodged a complaint with the police alleging that he had been threatened by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav over telephone.

Another significant development in the state was the sentencing of former UP minister and mafia don turned politician D P Yadav to life imprisonment by a special CBI court in Dehradun on charges of murdering Mahendra Singh Bhati, the then MLA from Dadri in UP, in 1992.