Special court agrees on UP government's decision to acquit all 81 accused except UP congress chief in 2015 rioting case

A special court in Uttar Pradesh has permitted the state government to withdraw charges against 81 people in a 2015 rioting case, leaving just state Congress president Ajay Rai facing prosecution. The order from the MP-MLA court came on Wednesday, after the BJP administration agreed to drop the charges against 81 of the 82 defendants in the case. Among the 81 are UP minister Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu and various Hindu saints who have had their charges cleared. Rai lashed out at the Yogi Adityanath government, declaring that the state government’s “discriminatory action” will not dissuade him. The court of Special Judge Avnish Gautam ordered withdrawal of the case against 81 accused, except Rai, government counsel Vinay Singh said. The case was lodged at Dashashwamedh police station here against 82 people, including Rai, on charges of rioting, arson, attempt to murder, and damaging government property after a violence broke out during the “Anyay Pratikar Yatra’. Rai’s advocate Anuj Singh termed the court’s order as “biased” and said that they will approach the Allahabad High Court against it. UP Congress chief Rai, in a statement, said, “For them (BJP) the word Sanatan is not a symbol of any faith and belief, but merely a weapon of political vengeance. This was completely proved when this anti-Sanatan government filed a case against 82 people who were involved in the ‘Anyay Pratikar Yatra’, a protest march against suppression of present Shankaracharya in Kashi in 2015. Except me, the government sought the withdrawal of cases against 81 others.” “I am not going to be deterred by the discriminatory action of the government and will continue to fight for the injustice done to every aggrieved person or class along with Sanatan Samaj,” he said. The Congress leader said the government argued in the court that there are other cases against him, but additional cases are also against many of the 81 people who got acquitted due to political affiliation. “Whatever cases are against me, they are related to political movements against injustice,” the UPCC chief added. (With inputs from agencies)