BJP tears into Akhilesh Govt. over UP minister threatening journalist's life

New Delhi [India], Feb 13 (ANI): Slamming the Samajwadi party for failing to keep the law and order in the state intact, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday held the ruling dispensation of the state accountable after a state minister allegedly threatened to set a local journalist on fire for not supporting him in the ongoing Assembly Elections. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, that law and order in Uttar Pradesh has hit an all time low and the situation has worsened, as Samajwadi party has been oblivious about maintaining decorum in the state. "The law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh has hit an all time low. A complaint has been filed by a reputed journalist against a minister Mr. Radhey Shaym Singh in Uttar Pradesh, who had threatened the journalist that he would have been burnt alive if it would not have been election time and probably he will take that action after elections," Patra told ANI. "It is absolutely appalling and this shows as to how the Uttar Pradesh government has done nothing for the law and order situation in the state. A lot has to be answered by the Samajwadi party government and this is why they have lost in the first phase of the elections and similarly they will lose the UP elections," he added. Manoj Giri, a journalist confessed he is still scared for his life, as the Samajwadi Party MLA had assured to end his life after the Assembly Elections in the state. "I am still in fear and I have seen such acts before also, be it Shahjanpur case where journalists were burnt alive by those who were in power," Giri told ANI. "On Friday I was working in my office and around 2 p.m. Radhey Shyam called me on my mobile phone and started threatening me. He said that as soon as the elections will get over he will kill me," Giri said. "No action is being taken into consideration. There is no spirit of rising against these acts. This has to stop," he added Singh allegedly threatened to set Giri on fire for not supporting him during the ongoing Assembly elections in the state. However, the politician has firmly denied the claim. The journalist has filed a complaint with the police and has handed over the mobile audio of the alleged threat to the Superintendent of Police, Kushinagar, Raju Babu Singh. In the past too, the minister has been accused of abusing and threatening local government officials over phone. (ANI)