By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: The brutal killing of mafia don Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in police custody in full public glare outside Prayagraj hospital where entire media was also present has not only shocked the civic society but also exposed the deterioration in law and order situation in the state. The failure of the police force to protect Mafia don Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf has also affected the image of the Uttar Pradesh police force.
Although UP government has instituted three-member judicial committee to probe the incident and submit the report in two months but the incident attracted large scale criticism from the opposition all over the country.
It would be worth mentioning here that killing of mafia don’s son Asad and henchman Gulam killed in an encounter in Jhansi on April 13. Also caused widespread uproar about staged encounters. At that time too opposition parties questioned the genuineness of the encounter. What irritated the opposition and civic society most when senior minister of UP Suresh Khanna termed the developments as act of divine intervention.
Significantly BJP leadership has asked party leaders to refrain from making any comment on killing of mafia don Atiq and his brother Ashraf.
Leader of the Opposition in UP Assembly and national President of Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav said that BJP would have to pay price for anarchy in the state and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath would have to take the responsibility for the anarchy in the state. Akhilesh said if it was so easy to kill these persons in police protection, then common people were not safe at all.
Former chief minister and nation President of BSP Mayawati said the incident exposed the functioning of the government and urged Supreme Court to take cognizance of the incidence and order the investigation.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi also said that nobody should be allowed to play with the law and order procedures. The misuse of law and order for political purpose was very disturbing as it affected the democracy.
Significantly leaders from different states Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, TMC MP Mahua Mitra, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, former CM of J and K Mehbooba Mufti and Jharkhand CM we’re very critical the way Atiq and his brother were killed in police custody.
Whatever maybe the outcome of the three-member judicial inquiry but the incident has affected the image of the government on law and order issue all over the country.
But at the same time the political analysts see it as an opportunity to add to the polarisation on communal lines which could help consolidation of Hindutva forces for BJP candidates in the ongoing urban body civic polls. (IPA Service)