Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday strongly criticised the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, accusing it of building a “criminal system” through alleged fake encounters and misusing police personnel for political gain. Speaking at a press conference, the Samajwadi Party chief claimed that the government distances itself from police officers once encounter cases become controversial. Referring to the Gorakhpur fake encounter case, he alleged that several policemen ended up in jail while the government withdrew support from them.

Yadav said fake encounters had created a dangerous system where police officers were exploited for political purposes. He claimed some lawyers promote fabricated narratives around encounter cases and warned that policemen involved in such incidents could face lifelong consequences, including social stigma within their own families.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further alleged that fake encounters violate democratic values and are used to create fear and psychological pressure among the public. He claimed that such practices discourage investment and accused some officials of misusing the fear surrounding encounters to commit crimes against women.

Yadav also alleged that encounters in the state were being carried out on the basis of caste and religion, targeting backward classes, Dalits, and minorities. According to him, the government was using such actions to assert dominance and suppress the rights of PDA communities — Pichde, Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Backward Classes, Dalits, and Minorities). He maintained that any encounter carried out with hidden motives should be considered fake and accused the government of misusing its authority to spread fear and exert control.