Akhilesh Yadav Accuses UP Police of Student Abductions Amid Prayagraj Unrest
Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleges Uttar Pradesh police used unmarked vehicles to detain students illegally following protests in Prayagraj. Local authorities deny the claims, asserting that only non-student agitators were arrested for property damage.
Allegations of Extrajudicial Detentions
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav issued a sharp critique of law enforcement tactics in Prayagraj on Monday, July 28, 2026. The opposition leader alleged that a specialized unit of the Uttar Pradesh Police utilized vehicles lacking license plates to seize several students. Yadav characterized these actions as abductions rather than lawful arrests and demanded the immediate suspension of all officers involved in the operation.
According to a statement posted by Yadav on X, these detentions directly contradict federal assurances that students would not face retaliation for participating in protests. He questioned whether the state police were intentionally undermining the Prime Minister's public promises. Yadav has formally requested that the judiciary intervene to protect the safety of the detained individuals.
Police Refute Claims, Cite Vandalism by Outsiders
The Prayagraj police provided a conflicting account of the weekend's events, emphasizing that their actions targeted criminal activity rather than student activism. Following a protest on Saturday that resulted in an attack on two SUVs, the Civil Lines police station registered two separate First Information Reports (FIRs).
Vidyut Goyal, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Civil Lines, informed the media that law enforcement scrutinized CCTV footage to identify individuals responsible for public and private property damage. Key takeaways from the police response include:
- Ten individuals have been arrested in connection with the violence.
- Authorities claim those in custody are "anti-social elements" rather than students.
- The arrests specifically follow instances of vehicle vandalism and physical attacks.
The discrepancy between Yadav's claims of student abductions and the police narrative of targeting non-student agitators highlights the growing friction between the state administration and the opposition over the handling of public dissent.
Source: The Hindu — National
