Mathura clash looks case of negligence on govt’s part: Supriyo

 Union Minister Babul Supriyo today attacked the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh over the Mathura clash, saying it appears to be a “case of negligence” on the part of local administration.

“Overlooking tension, which was brewing in the area for long and that too in a sacred place like Mathura, is not good.  Even policemen lost their lives. Apparently, it appears that there was a negligence on the part of local administration,” Union Minister of State for Urban Development Supriyo told reporters.

“If tension was coiling up over the issue of removing encroachment, UP government should have taken a note of it.  What was the local administration doing?” the BJP MP asked.

As many as 24 persons, including an SP and an SHO, were killed in clashes between police and members of a sect who had encroached on a government land, during a drive to evict them in Mathura district on Thursday.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already sought a report on the issue and now the time has come for the damage control. It was a matter of intelligence failure too, he said.

“It was a dangerous incident. An SP has lost his life. Who are responsible for the failure? It should be probed. It is also the responsibility of state government as law and order is a state subject,” the minister said.

On BJP’s performance in the recently-concluded state Assembly elections in West Bengal, Supriyo said, “Though party’s vote share has come down to 10.2 per cent from 17 per cent in 2014 Lok Sabha poll, the spread of votes is homogeneous in nature and it got support of people from all parts of the state.”