JOIN USEx-IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who was forced to retire, to contest poll against Yogi Adityanath
Ex-Uttar Pradesh IPS officer Amitabh Thakur, who was known for taking governments head-on by his plain speaking and was given voluntary retirement (VRS) from service in ''public interest'' a few months back, on Saturday announced that he would contest against chief minister Yogi Adityanath in the upcoming state Assembly polls due early next year.
''I will contest against Adityanath from wherever he files nomination in protest against his repressive and undemocratic policies,'' Thakur said in a video posted on social media platforms.
Thakur said that he would 'expose' the 'repressive' regime of Adityanath before the people of the state. ''It doesn't matter how many votes do I get.....I will force Adityanath to follow the model code of conduct in letter and spirit,'' he added.
He said that his friends had been exerting pressure on him to contest against Adityanath. ''I know I will get very few votes...I don't possess politician-like qualities but I shall force Adityanath to abide by the code of conduct,'' he said.
The firebrand ex-IPS officer, who had been usually given insignificant postings in view of his plain speaking, had irked the BJP government when he predicted that gangster Vikas Dubey, who had killed eight cops and was nabbed in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh last year, would be killed in an encounter even before it happened.
Similarly, he had again embarrassed the bureaucracy and the government after he demanded action against the district magistrate of Hathras following the brutal rape and murder of a woman there.
Thakur had also released a list of 'wasooli' (extortion) by the cops at Mughal Sarai Kotwali sending authorities in a tizzy.
In 2015, Thakur had taped his alleged conversation with SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav in which the latter was heard threatening him over his criticism of the then SP government.
After he leaked the tape, he was accused of raping a woman. He had then put up a board before his office stating that no woman should enter his office alone.