Double murder case takes center stage as BJP and Samajwadi Party campaign in UP Budaun

Last week, two boys were killed at their home in Budaun, UP

Budaun (Part 1):

The brutal murder of two minor brothers has become the talk of the constituency ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, with the Samajwadi Party targeting the BJP over law and order issues while the ruling party claimed that “swift police action” led to Death of the People’s Party. The main accused died.

Budaun is located in western Uttar Pradesh and is considered the gateway to the Braj region from Lohairkhand.

The Samajwadi Party hopes to regain the seat it lost in 2019 and has nominated Shivpal Singh Yadav as its candidate. The BJP is yet to announce sitting MP Sanghamitra Maurya as its candidate for the Lok Sabha elections.

At a time when political fervor was running high in the constituency, the murder of two teenage brothers on Tuesday night shocked the constituency and the state.

The double murder changed the political rhetoric in the constituency.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called the murder a “failure of law and order” and said the brothers’ lives could have been saved.

“Had the police done their job properly, lives could have been saved. They (BJP government) cannot hide their shortcomings and this encounter will not hide their failures,” Mr Yadav said.

Shivpal Yadav also attacked the government over the incident. “The incident at Budaun is very sad but there is a complete failure of law and order by the government. This is clearly evident from similar incidents,” he said.

Ms Moria visited the boys’ home on Wednesday, pledging her full support to the families and accusing the Socialist Party of playing politics on the issue.

“I condemn the murder of these two minor boys. Our hearts as a family in the BJP are with this grieving family. I just want to say to those who are politicking on this issue that this is not the time to do so, “she says.

“The Samajwadi Party is playing politics on this issue as its so-called bastion of Budaun was demolished by people here in 2019. The SP candidate must have seen that no one is asking about him in Budaun today. That’s why they are in this Do politics on the issues,” she said.

She was apparently referring to Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav, who was visiting the mission for the first time after being announced as a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections last week.

Shivpal Yadav’s son and party leader Aditya Yadav on Thursday met the family of the deceased brother as well as the district magistrate and SSP to file a complaint against Ms Maurya.

“BJP MP Sanghamitra Maurya has made indecent, baseless and misleading remarks against our leader Shivpal Yadav. We A complaint has been lodged with DM and SSP in this regard. In the coming days, our team of lawyers will also file a defamation case,” Aditya Yadav said.

Grassroots workers from both parties are working hard to get their message to the people.

Saumitra Yadav, a local official of the Samajwadi Party, said: “The fact that anyone can commit such a crime is enough to prove that he has no fear of the law.”

“Fear and confidence in the law can be instilled by ensuring the defendant is found guilty in court. Encounter does not ensure this,” he added.

Members of the BJP are sending a message to the public to take swift action.

“Soon after the incident, the police managed to nab the main accused, who was killed in an encounter. Another accused was also arrested within 48 hours. This shows our commitment to law and order,” said the BJP’s urban unit Member Sarvesh Pandey, said.

Given the sensitivity of the incident, police took immediate action. “Our primary motive is to clearly identify and arrest the accused in this case, but the bigger challenge is undoubtedly ensuring law and order in the area,” Bareilly Range Inspector General (IG) Rakesh Singh said.

The Budaun Lok Sabha seat, which has a sizeable minority electorate, was earlier considered a Samajwadi Party bastion.

The party held the seat from 1996 to 2014. These include Saleem Iqbal Shervani’s four consecutive terms (1996-2004) and Akhilesh Yadav’s cousin Damen Dharmendra Yadav’s two terms (2009 and 2014).

However, the BJP turned the tables in the 2019 polls, with the BJP’s Maurya defeating Dharmendra Yadav.

The Budaun vote will be held on May 7 and the results will be announced on June 4.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)