Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday, 1 October 2026, declared that the state — previously 'marred with riots and curfews' — was pulled out of 'policy paralysis' following the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's assumption of power in 2017. He made the remarks at a ceremony in Lucknow where 87 interceptor vehicles were flagged off and medals were presented to distinguished police personnel.

Historic Kirti Chakra for UP Police Officer

The ceremony's centrepiece was the posthumous honouring of Inspector Sunil Kumar of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), who was awarded the Kirti Chakra for exceptional bravery during an encounter with members of the Mukim Kala gang in Shamli district. 'This is the first time that an officer of UP Police has been bestowed with the Kirti Chakra,' the Chief Minister observed.

In addition, 16 security personnel from the state received the President's bravery medal, while 10 UP Police personnel were awarded the Chief Minister's bravery medal.

Police Reforms and Technology Push

Adityanath highlighted the role of technology in transforming policing, noting that more than 14 lakh cameras have been installed across districts for security and investigation purposes, supplemented by Integrated Command and Control Centres set up district-wide. 'When technology is incorporated into thoughts and behaviour, it also delivers results. The identity that UP Police has built today is the result of this very thing,' he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed to the implementation of structural reforms stemming from the landmark 1996 Supreme Court PIL filed by former Director General of Police Prakash Singh, along with co-petitioner N.K. Singh and the organisation Common Cause, which sought an overhaul of the colonial-era Police Act of 1861. 'Those reforms were first implemented in Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, according to the demands, we have so far made seven police commissionerates in the state,' he stated.

Veiled Attack on the Previous Government

In pointed remarks widely read as a critique of the previous Samajwadi Party (SP) government, Adityanath alleged: 'Before 2017, people were reeling under an identity crisis for hailing from Uttar Pradesh... if political leadership lacks the capacity to make decisions and has a weak backbone, how can it set the law-and-order situation, right?'

He alleged that 'mafias ruled every district of Uttar Pradesh' before 2017 and that police were 'compelled in front of them.' Citing Muzaffarnagar as an example, he claimed that district experienced curfew for six continuous months. 'As a result of this, Uttar Pradesh was being counted among 'sick' states. Despite being the largest state, it lagged behind in terms of economy, recruitments, technology, and implementation of welfare schemes for youth, women etc.,' he added.

Zero Tolerance and the Road Ahead

The Chief Minister reiterated that the UP Police was carrying forward the state government's 'zero tolerance' policy towards crime and criminals. He underscored that healthy governance hinges on a secure environment, invoking the force's tagline: 'Your safety is our commitment.'

The flagging off of the 87 interceptor vehicles is expected to bolster rapid response capabilities across the state, with officials indicating further infrastructure upgrades are in the pipeline.