The Uttar Pradesh asserted that two accused in the violence caused in Bahraich during a Durga Puja procession, were shot in an encounter on Thursday. The accused, identified as Sarfaraz and Taleem, were shot while they were fleeing to Nepal. The encounter occurred near the Handa Basehri area of Bahraich, close to Nepal. 

The accused were injured in their legs, and have been referred to the district hospital. Sarfaraz and Taleem are sons of Abdul Hameed, the main accused in the Bahraich violence case, where 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra was shot dead at the Durga Puja procession on October 13. Nearly five people were arrested after the encounter. 

After the encounter, Bahraich SP Vrinda Shukla said that five people have been arrested. She affirmed that two of the accused have been injured in police firing. She added that one of the injured is Mohammed Sarfaraz, the other one is Mohammed Taleem. 

After Abdul Hameed was accused of firing at Ram Gopal Mishra, his daughter Rukhsar, who is a landlord in Bahraich said that the UP Special Task Force (STF) detained her father, her two brothers and another young man at 4 pm on Wednesday. She added that her husband and her brother-in-law were also picked up by STF. Rukhsar further said that they have not received any information about them from any police station, and the family fears that they may be killed in an encounter.

Reacting to the encounter, the Congress has attacked the Uttar Pradesh government, claiming that it is just trying to cover up its failure. Congress chief Ajai Rai said that the government has been doing fake encounters ever since, and are trying to cover up their failure. 

Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief also slammed the Yogi Adityanath led government, raising questions over the law and order situation in the state. He said that if law and order was improving only through encounters, Uttar Pradesh would have progressed in many areas by now.

He added that this is the failure of the government, the police and the administration. He questioned that if the concerned authorities are not able to manage a village function then how will they manage the law and order of the state, adding that all they do is encounter and scare people.  

A few hours after the Bahraich violence took place, CM Yogi Adityanath in a X post vowed to provide justice to the victim’s family. The Chief Minister had said that the culprits of this extremely reprehensible and unforgivable incident will not be spared at any cost. 

The Congress on Thursday slammed the double engine government led by the BJP and JD(U) coalition over several fatalities in Bihar’s Siwan and Saran districts due to consumption of spurious liquor.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at NDA and said that the opportunistic double engine government is responsible for the deaths.

Kharge extended his condolences to the bereaved families of the victims after 36 people died due to spurious liquor in 16 villages of Siwan and Saran in the state. Kharge requested the government to ensure that the culprits are given the harshest punishment possible.

In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge shared the previous incidents in which people lost their lives after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Bihar and said this shows how unsuccessful the state government has been in stopping the illegal liquor business.

“Before this — April 2023: 26 people died due to consumption of spurious liquor in Motihari. December 2022: 71 people lost their lives in Chhapra and dozens lost their eyesight. March 2022: 12 people died in Banka. November 2021: 43 people died after consuming poisonous liquor in Gopalganj, Bettiah and Muzaffarpur,” Kharge said.

“In 2017, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said that ‘Liquor will not be sold in Bihar as long as I am alive’. Liquor ban has been implemented. But why is the illegal trade of illicit liquor still going on?” he said.

“The opportunistic double (engine) government in Bihar is responsible for taking the lives of hundreds of people!” the Congress president said.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said, “So many people died but Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar did not even express condolences. Hundreds of Biharis die every day due to poisonous liquor and crime but this is a normal thing for the Chief Minister and his kitchen cabinet, who are pioneers of immoral and unprincipled politics.”

He said 27 people have been killed due to poisonous liquor under government protection. Yadav said the so-called liquor ban in Bihar has taken the eyesight of dozens of people, adding due to the nexus between ruling party leaders, police and mafia, liquor is available at every square and intersection.

“No matter how many people are killed, how can any senior officer be prosecuted? On the contrary, will they be rewarded? If despite the liquor ban, liquor is available at every square and corner, then is this not the failure of the Home Department and the Chief Minister?” the RJD leader said in a post in Hindi on X.

He wondered if the Chief Minister was sensible, capable and competent enough to take action and think about such incidents. “Who is responsible for these murders?” he asked.

Lauding the BJP double engine government after Nayab Singh Saini took oath as the Haryana Chief Minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that his government will leave no stone unturned in serving the poor, farmers, soldiers, youth and women as well as every section of the society.

The Prime Minister congratulated Saini on taking oath as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second term and a hat-trick for the party and all the colleagues who took oath as ministers along with him.

PM Modi, who also attended the sworn-in ceremony of the Chief Minister, said Saini’s team is a wonderful confluence of good governance and experience, which will take the development of the state to new heights along with realising the dreams of the people here.

Apart from PM Modi, senior party leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several Chief Ministers from the BJP-ruled states were present on the occasion.

In a post on X, Shah also congratulated Saini on the occasion and to all the ministers who took oath as ministers in the Haryana government.

Reiterating the Prime Minister’s pledge to the welfare of farmers, youth, women and poor, Shah expressed confidence that under the leadership of CM Saini, Haryana will continue to move forward in the direction that PM Modi has pledged.

“All of you will take the work done by the BJP government in the last decade for the prosperity and good governance of the people of Haryana to even greater heights,” he said.

Saini-led Council of Ministers includes thirteen legislators, including two women. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya administered the oath of office and secrecy at the swearing-in-ceremony held in Haryana’s Panchkula.

Those who were administered oath of office and secrecy in the state cabinet include – Anil Vij, Arvind Kumar Sharma, Shyam Singh Rana, Ranbir Singh Gangwa, Krishan Bedi, Krishan Lal Panwar, Rao Narbir Singh, Mahipal Dhanda, Vipul Goel, Shruti Choudhry, Arti Singh Rao, Rajesh Nagar and Gaurav Gautam.