UP: Anti-Romeo squad arrests 50 youth roaming around girls' colleges in Gorakhpur

The Yogi effect is now pervading the streets of Uttar Pradesh. Even though there was an official announcement about the formation of an anti-Romeo squad, a charged-up UP Police on Wednesday launched a massive drive in the Chief Minister's hometown and parliamentary constituency of Gorakhpur, sending as many as 50 street Romeos roaming around girls' colleges behind bars.

On Tuesday, the Lucknow police had arrested two Romeos. During his election speeches, Adityanath had advocated the formation of an anti-Romeo squad. Taking strong note of the increase in number of molestation cases and harassment of girls and women in public places, Adityanath has recommended strict action against the guilty.

In its 30-page Lok Sankalp Patra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) manifesto, the party has included Adityanath's suggestion for a separate squad to curb eve-teasing, harassment and molestation in different parts of the state. "Women's self-respect is topmost on the party's agenda," the manifesto read.

Though the DGP had sent a missive to all district police chiefs to implement the new government's agenda, particularly on the law-and-order front, no order has been passed by the new government yet on the formation of such a force.

Yet, the UP police swung into action to implement the new CM's agenda on priority, launching a massive crackdown in Gorakhpur. The anti-Romeo drive was led by Charu Nigam, Circle Officer (CO), Gorkhanath police station, around the Imambara Girls' College, MP Girls College, Gorakhpur University Gate, DAV PG College, CR PG College, City Mall, MD College and Bank Road etc.

About 50 eve-teasers were nabbed and taken to a counselling centre at the police station. "We have picked up as many as 50 Romeos who hanging around unnecessarily at girls' colleges and hostels," said Nigam.

"The surprise crackdown led to a chaotic scene at colleges and City Mall. A few boys, who had come to pick up their sisters from colleges, also became victims. Later, they were let off by the police," Gaurav Awasthi, a local journalist, told DNA.

"After warning the Romeos and asking their parents to counsel them, they were let off from the police station," said the CO. He claimed that the drive would continue till the street Romeos mended their ways.

She, however, refused to say why the police did not initiate a similar exercise during the Akhilesh Yadav regime when maximum number of such cases were reported. There were cases when complainants, mostly girls and their parents, would be shown the doors at police stations when they went to lodge complaints against eve-teasers.

The civic agencies, on the other hand, continued their crackdown against slaughterhouses all over the state, and shut over 200 abattoirs across the state. Closing slaughterhouses is the topmost agenda of the new government.

A day after his return from New Delhi, the Chief Minister was seen in action again. The new Chief Minister held a high-level meeting with Chief Secretary Rahul Bhantnagar, DGP Javeed Ahmed and other senior bureaucrats to review the law-and-order situation. He also directed them to ensure a complete ban on cow slaughter and cow smuggling.

He directed them to make an action plan to close down all illegal slaughterhouses and review the security cover to politicians. Adityanath made it clear again that his government will not tolerate any laxity on the law-and-order front and will implement the party's manifesto on priority.