Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead were shot at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj on Saturday night. Moments later, reactions poured in from political circles, with some BJP leaders calling it fate and justice.
BJP leader and Jal Shakti Minister in the state, Swatantra Dev Singh tweeted a cryptic message about “sin and virtue”.
"Sin and virtue are accounted for in this birth," he said in Hindi moments after the news flash of the killings.
Meanwhile, UP finance minister Suresh Khanna called the incident “divine justice”.
The brothers were in handcuffs to be escorted for a medical checkup when they were killed in full view of camera crews around 10 pm. The horrifying visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels.
Opposition leaders, on the other hand, questioned the law and order situation and demanded that the state government be dismissed over the incident. The "cold-blooded" killings are the "height of anarchy" in Uttar Pradesh, BSP MP Danish Ali said, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that criminals were unfazed in the state.
"Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amidst a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created among the public due to this and it seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere," read Yadav’s tweet in Hindi.
Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary asked if 'jungle raj' prevails in the state.
"Nobody is sympathising with Atiq Ahmad because a criminal should be punished. But anyone who will see this video will question if we are a democracy. Every criminal has the right to be heard in court and be convicted there. But you can see they were killed in police custody in the open," he said.
He further said, "The chief minister should answer what kind of law and order he has established in the state. Is this not jungle raj and a ground to call for emergency rule in UP?"
Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal tweeted, "Two murders in UP: 1) Atiq Ahmed and brother Ashraf 2) Rule of law."
The tragic end of Ahmad and his brother came just two days after the ex-MP's son Asad, was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi. He was buried in Prayagraj yesterday. It also happened a month after the gangster claimed he would be killed.
Video footage showed a man thrusting a gun at Atiq’s head as he talks to reporters and the former SP MP collapsing. The footage also showed the three assailants firing at Ahmad and Ashraf even after they had fallen. The bullet-riddled bodies of Ahmad and Ashraf were taken away from the spot as tension gripped the area after the sensational killings.
The three assailants who fired at Ahmad and Ashraf were arrested immediately after the incident.
