Lucknow, August 26: Uttar Pradesh's Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya accused the Opposition of attempting to reap political dividends from the tragic case of Bulandshahr cop lynching. Reacting to the hero's welcome accorded to the accused released on bail, Maurya said the controversy should not be exaggerated.

Maurya's remarks comes two days after the six accused, charged of killing inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, were garlanded after being granted bail by a local court. The BJP-led UP government had drawn flak, with sections of the rival parties accusing the ruling regime of facilitating the bail by weakening the prosecution. Bulandshahr Violence: Six Accused, Out on Bail, Welcomed With Garlands and Chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’; Watch Video

"If supporters of people who have been released from jail welcome them, the government and BJP have nothing to do with it. The Opposition should not make a mountain out of a molehill," Maurya said.

On Saturday, the magisterial court released Shikhar Agarwal, Jit Fauji, Hemu, Saurav, Rohit and Upendra Raghav on bail. Among them, Agarwal is the former chief of the local BJP youth wing.

Subodh Kumar was killed during a protest called by locals in Bulandshahr's Mahwah village on December 3, alleging the slaughter of cow in the region. The inspector, who had arrived at the spot to control the situation, was attacked by axe-wielding men who chopped of his fingers and struck his dead. The deceased police officer's body was found in jeep, left abandoned in middle of a field.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2019 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).