Protests against Yogi’s Encounter Raj and Murder of Apple Executive

THE CPI(ML) observed 1 October 2018 as statewide Protest Day against the murder in Lucknow of Apple Manager by the Uttar Pradesh Police. Apple Area Sales Manager Vivek Tiwari was murdered on the night of 28-29 September when he was shot by the police in the Gomti Nagar area of Lucknow. The CPI(ML) protested against the killing and demanded the resignation of CM Yogi Adityanath who is responsible for the current ‘Encounter Raj’ in the State in the name of law and order.

Protest marches and meetings were organized at Sonbhadra, Ghazipur, Allahabad, Jalaun, Moradabad and other districts. The march at Ghazipur began from the Tulsisagar Lanka and culminated in a dharna at Comrade Saryu Pandey Park, after which a memorandum was submitted to the SDM Sadar demanding an end to the growing number of incidences of violence, murder and encounter against dalits and minorities. In Lucknow the march was started on 30 September from the Party District Office at Lalkuan and culminated in a meeting at the GPO. Through the protests the following demands were made: resignation of CM Adityanath; end to the fake encounters resulting in the murder of innocent persons; end to Encounter Raj in Uttar Pradesh; strong punishment for the murderers of Vivek Tiwari; high level judicial enquiry into all encounters in the State.

The Party has said that the murder of Vivek Tiwari by the UP police was a result of Chief Minister’s ‘Encounter Raj’ and this is a cold-blooded murder which exposes the sorry state of law and order under Adityanath’s government. The free license given to the police in the name of law and order has cost the life of innocent Vivek Tiwari, which cannot be compensated by any amount from Adityanat’s treasury. The Yogi government must take responsibility for this murder and not remain in power even for a single minute. The suspension or sacking of the police personnel who fired the shots is not enough. The question must be answered: from where do petty police personnel get the audacity to fire head-shots and kill at the slightest excuse under this BJP government? Accountability needs to be fixed on this question. The ‘self-defence’ argument put forwarded by the police in the Vivek Tiwari killing is the same argument that is used while defending fake encounter killings everywhere in the state. The Yogi government is unable to count this killing as an ‘achievement’ as it does with other fake encounter killings because it has been caught red-handed.