"BJP has made Uttar Pradesh the capital of fake encounters," says Akhilesh Yadav

"In Uttar Pradesh, fingers have been raised on many encounters...The government has targeted most people of PDA families in the many encounters. BJP has made Uttar Pradesh the capital of fake encounters," said Yadav.

"...We assure the people of Ayodhya that after two years, when we form the government, we will make Ayodhya a world-class city," he added.

Earlier, the SP chief posted on X, "A pattern of encounters has been set under BJP rule: pick someone first, then make up a story of a fake encounter, then show fake pictures to the world, then after the murder, when the family members tell the truth, pressurise them with various kinds of pressure and temptations. The more the BJP with its forces tries to prove such encounters to be true, the bigger lie that encounter actually is. BJP carried out the encounter of truth itself."

Congress has also slammed the BJP government over alleged encounters in the state.

"The encounter of Mangesh Yadav in Sultanpur has once again proved that the BJP does not believe in the 'Rule of Law'. Professional forces like STF are being run like 'criminal gangs' under the BJP government, the silence of the Central government on this is their clear agreement on this 'thoko policy'. Dozens of encounters of UP STF are under question. Has any action been taken against any of those officers till date? After all, who is saving them and why. Touching the Constitution in front of cameras is just a pretence when your own governments are openly tearing it to pieces," Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X on September 8.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had last week slammed Samajwadi Party leaders over their allegations.

"You see, when a mafia or a dacoit is killed in a police encounter, it's as if the police have touched a sensitive nerve, and they start crying out. Tell me, if a dacoit, who was killed in an encounter, had been left to continue his crimes. Could the Samajwadi Party have brought those lives back? During the SP government, police used to run while the goons used to chase them. Today, their roles have been reversed. The mafia is running, police are chasing," the Chief Minister said. (ANI)