Amid criticism of the growing number of encounter killings in Uttar Pradesh, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said eliminating criminals “is a step towards setting up a Ram Rajya”, reported The Times of India.

“Uttar Pradesh is not the only state where steps are being taken at a grand scale to ensure law and order,” Maurya told the paper. “Our priority is not to kill them. But if armed men attack the police, they will fire back. The aim is to eliminate evil and ensure a peaceful atmosphere that is ‘Ram Rajya.’”

In February, the National Human Rights Commission had accused the “higher-ups” in Uttar Pradesh of allowing the police to freely misuse their power and settle scores with people. Between March 2017 – when the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in the state – and January, there had been nearly 1,142 encounters, it was reported in February.

Maurya called the Tiranga Yatras that were held after the violence in Kasganj, in which a man was killed, people’s “freedom to express nationalism”. “The violence was unfortunate and the killing was disturbing...Whether they take place on January 26 or other important days, they are committed to the nation,” he told The Times of India. “It is incorrect to question their relevance.”

The BJP leader has been campaigning in Phulpur, where bye-elections will be held on March 11. He represented the constituency in 2014. Bye-polls will also be held in Gorakhpur the same day.