Lucknow, Dec 22 (IANS): The Uttar Pradesh government will withdraw 20,000 political cases slapped on various people for reasons like staging a demonstration and holding sit-ins, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Thursday.

Speaking on the UPCOCA debate in the state assembly, he said that his government, after due deliberations, had decided to do this. Officials said there were many instances where cases had been slapped for political and other considerations to victimize political opponents and law had been misused in a big way in the past.

Adityanath also sought the support of the opposition parties, bitterly opposed to the legislation, to come join hands with the state government to weed out criminals and make Uttar Pradesh a peaceful and investor-friendly state.

A firm hand towards crime and criminals was necessary, he added while pointing out that his government had been mandated by the people to turn UP into a peaceful state.

He also allayed fears of opposition benches and the media that the law would be misused to muzzle their voice or to hound minorities or political opponents. "It is must to break the backbone of organized crime, which has thrived with the support of politicians and officials", the Chief Minister said.