Since Yogi Adityanath grabbed hold of the reins of Uttar Pradesh goverment’s chariot there have been numerous steps taken by the government which are applauded by many. From massive moves like waiving off the farmers’ loans worth of 36000 crore Rupees to prohibiting tobacco chewing at government work places. Many such steps have garnered him a lot of appreciation from the masses of the state. But is it all about ‘happy times’ in BJP controlled UP or there are other sides to it.
A major move made by the new government as soon as it came to power was the initiation of Anti Romeo Squad to counter crimes against women such as eve teasing. But it turns out, this is not the all to it. The police forces have rather resorted to moral policing and harassment of couples at public places and even taking them to police stations for no apparent reason. What makes the situation worse is the advent of other groups who have taken it to themselves to finish the work left by the cops. Members of such groups are often seen harassing young couples and sometimes even resorting to violence to ‘teach them a lesson’. One such group is ‘Hindu Yuva Vahini’, a youth group founded by the chief minister of the state Yogi Adityanath himself. On April 13th in Meerut when members of the group barged into a rented house and thrashed a Muslim man for being in a compromising position with a woman who is reported to be a Hindu. The man was handed over to the police who charged him with obscenity. The question of the hour is since when it is illegal to lead a private life in your house whereas barging into someone’s house is completely legal? The group alleged that the man was trying to convert the religion of the girl and make her a Muslim. Where they got this information from is still unknown.
While many applaudable steps have been taken by the new government in Uttar Pradesh, stricter steps should also be taken to curb such vigilantism. Moral policing of couples and forcefully teaching them moral values is not the need of of the hour in Uttar Pradesh where problems like high crime rate are still thriving. Groups such as Hindu Yuva Vahini should dedicated themselves more towards social service and taking their state to the era of development instead of acting as the protectors of faith and moral values.