Krishnanand Rai murder: Uttar Pradesh

Atalji flags off Nyaya Yatra
in Varanasi
From Our Special Correspondent

Sounding the bugle for a regime change in Uttar Pradesh former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has said the people of Uttar Pradesh will uproot the present dispensation if their demands are not met. He was addressing a rally on December 14 in Varanasi, before he flagged off a Nyaya Yatra by State BJP leaders demanding justice in Krishnanand Rai murder case.

Launching a scathing attack on Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav led Samajwadi Party Government Shri Vajpayee said any delay in ordering CBI enquiry into Shri Krishnanand murder case would deny justice to the bereaved family." There should be a Lakshman Rekha even for justice," he said and added that the Law existed in the country not to deny justice to people but to facilitate the probe more effectively.

Touching upon the issue of deteriorating Law and Order situation in Uttar Pradesh Shri Vajpayee said the murder of Krishnanand Rai was not the first or the last murder in the State. If the SP Government continued to stay in power this series of killings would continue endlessly. "But we are not going to let this happen", he asserted.

Enumerating the details of all recent political killings Atalji said it was high time to put an end on any new addition to the list. The people in Uttar Pradesh should be saved from this bloody game. Referring to an incident during Shri Rajnath Singh tenure as Chief Minister of the State he said Shri Singh showed no hesitation in ordering CBI probe into the incident, a decision which certain leaders did not like fearing they would stand exposed.

Shri Vajpayee said that it was good to see that people had raised their voices against the misrule and a movement had been launched. "But this movement should not be limited to a dharna or Kashi. It should spread throughout the State," he appealed to the masses.

He added that time had come for the people to change the Government. However, he added that the party would carry forward its movement in a peaceful and Constitutional manner.

BJP General Secretary and former Chief Minister Shri Rajnath Singh in his address vowed to take this agitation from Varanasi to different parts of the State exposing the real face of the Samajwadi Party Government. "The life of common man is fast losing its value. The people of the State are now fed up with this rule and want change, "he said. Coming down heavily on the State Government Shri Rajnath Singh said the BJP had taken the Krishnanand Rai murder case and the Chief Minister's refusal as a challenge. Exhorting the youth he said unless we succeed in our mission the youth in the State would not sit idle. He expressed hope that the Nyaya Yatra would change the course of politics in Uttar Pradesh.

Shri Rajnath Singh sat on an indefinite dharna after Krishnanand Rai and six others were murdered. It was Atalji who asked him to end his indefinite dharna going on for the last 15 days and embark on a Nyaya Yatra making the agitation a mass movement in Uttar Pradesh.

Party Vice President and former Chief Minister Shri Kalyan Singh while addressing the rally made an emotive appeal to people urging them to participate in the Yatra cutting across party and caste lines and bring an end to continuing jungleraj in the State.

Prominent among others who addressed the gathering were State BJP President Shri Keshari Nath Tripathi, Leader of State Legislature Party Shri Lalji Tandon, Shri Kalraj Mishra and many others.