Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Monday said the state government or the Bharatiya Janata Party had nothing to do with the garlanding of two men accused of violence in Bulandshahr in December in which two people were killed, PTI reported.

“If supporters and relatives of someone who has been released from the jail welcome them, the government or the BJP have nothing to do with it,” Maurya said. “The Opposition need not exaggerate such things.”

Police officer Subodh Kumar Singh was among two persons who were killed in a mob attack in Bulandshahr on December 3, 2018, after cattle carcasses were allegedly found in the fields of Mahaw village. Singh had gone to the site to restore law and order.

A court released six accused on bail on Saturday. After this, a video surfaced showing two of them – one of them BJP youth wing leader Shikhar Agarwal – being garlanded by supporters. Slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” were also heard in the video.

Watch: Shikhar Agarwal, key accused in Bulandshahr violence, garlanded after being released on bail

Meanwhile, Subodh Kumar Singh’s family demanded that the accused be sent back in jail. His son Shrey Pratap Singh said that such elements were better behind bars than be allowed to roam free.

“I urge Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that these criminals who were in jail for six months should be behind bars in the interest of society,” he said. “Those who can commit a crime once can do it again. I believe that such people out of jail are danger not just for me but also for others.”

The inspector’s wife asked why the accused had “got freedom in just six months”. She told News18 that she now feared for her family’s safety. “Now they all are out,” she said. “I fear that I may be killed now or they might kill my children. The court should reject their bail as soon as possible. I will lodge a complaint with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. My husband died while serving his motherland, but now his killers are being garlanded on receiving bail. More strict action should have been taken against them.”

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