AGRA: Hours after UP Police announced to promote 25,091 constables to head constable Samajwadi Party claimed that this was done to placate lower rung cops , who feel cheated after being allegedly used to settle political scores, conduct fake encounters and carry out other illegal activities.Former SP MLC Udayveer Singh said, “While we welcome promotion of constables, it’s a move to suppress resentment among cops, who are unhappy with their seniors for coercing them into illegal activities such as fake encounters.”“A rebel was brewing against the conduct of UP government and state police chief who used cops to settle political scores and carry out illegal activities. In certain cases when such plans have backfired, senior officials have pulled out, leaving the lower rung cop in lurch. Therefore this sudden decision of mass promotion was taken to placate policemen,” added Singh.Countering the SP argument, BJP’s state spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, “The file on constable promotion was in pipeline for quite some time. In 2017, 8,910 non-gazetted cops were promoted. The promotion of 25,091 constables is the largest mass promotion in police history and it has nothing to do with resentment among lower rung policemen.”“In order to improve policing, the state government is focusing on reducing the workload of cops and fill 1.5 lakh police vacancies. We are also considering measures to improve government accommodations of cops and increase their salary,” The BJP spokesperson added.According to UP Police, in 2016 during Samajwadi Party regime, 15,803 cops, including 8,762 constables, were promoted. In 2017, BJP government promoted 8,901 cops, including 5,030 constables.Former UP DGP Prakash Singh said, “The procedure of promotion is long. The government might have expedited it after a brief rebel exhibited by lower rung cops. Promotion will boost the morale of cops and they will not go against their seniors in the near future.”

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