Lucknow: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that he does not trust Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and Uttar Pradesh Police triggering a huge row. This comes after the UP Police & Anti-Terrorism Squad on Sunday arrested 2 terrorists linked to Al Qaeda, who were planning serial blasts in Lucknow ahead of Independence Day.
“I can’t trust the actions of the Uttar Pradesh police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state,” Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in response to a question.
UP Police Arrests Two Terrorists:
Two terrorists of the Al-Qaeda-supported Ansar Ghazwatul Hind were arrested from the outskirts Lucknow on Sunday, a senior official said.
Minhaz Ahmed and Maseeruddin were apprehended by the state police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and a huge amount of explosive was also seized from their houses here, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told reporters.
They were planning to “unleash terror activities before August 15 (Independence Day) in different cities of the state”, including Lucknow, Kumar said. “The ATS has arrested two active members belonging to Al-Qaeda-supported ‘Ansar Ghazwatul Hind’. Minhaz Ahmed, a resident of Lucknow’s Dubagga area, and Maseeruddin, a resident of Lucknow’s Madiaon area, have been arrested. Explosive material has been recovered from them,” he said.
BJP’s Reaction:
The Bharatiya Janata Party, on the other hand, slammed the Samajwadi Party chief calling his statement ‘unfortunate’.
“One can only expect such a statement from Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh Yadav trusts terrorists, but not the police of his state. The morale of the UP Police has witnessed a boost under Yogi government,” UP Minister Mohsin Raza said.