Lucknow, Feb 7 (PTI): In remarks that are likely to trigger a row, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav today said how can there be a good law and order in Uttar Pradesh when its population is more than 21 crore.
When reporters asked the party chief about law and order problems in UP during a press conference here, Yadav attempted to draw a parallel between the state and Delhi.
He said,"don't compare UP with Delhi. UP is ten times larger than the national capital. But in comparison to UP, Delhi has got ten times more crime."
"How can you expect a better law and order in a state with 21 crore population," Yadav said.
His comments have come at a time when the state government is facing severe criticism for its "lacklustre" approach in handling Muzzafarnagar riots and its aftermath.
On February 5, the government told Rajya Sabha that a maximum of 247 communal violence-related incidents, which claimed 77 lives, took place in Uttar Pradesh in 2013.
UP also recorded a maximum of 360 people being injured in these incidents during 2013.
The state also registered a maximum of 118 communal incidents during 2012 in which 39 people were killed and 500 were injured.
The information was provided by Minister of State for Home R P N Singh in a written reply.