New Delhi: Three days after the custodial murder of gangsters Atiq Ahmed and brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Tuesday that no criminal or mafia could threaten industrialists in the state anymore.
Adityanath was addressing an event at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for textile parks in Lucknow and Hardoi districts.
He said: “Now, a professional criminal or a mafia cannot threaten an industrialist over the phone… No one can. Uttar Pradesh was notorious for riots. Just the names of many districts scared people. Now there is no need to be scared.”
Adityanath criticised the previous Samajwadi Party government, which incidentally had given an Assembly as well as a Lok Sabha ticket to Atiq Ahmed.
The state saw over 700 riots between 2012 and 2017, he said. “But not a single riot broke out in UP between 2017 and 2023, no curfew was imposed. The situation did not arise. This is the most conducive opportunity to invest and set up industries here,” he said.
Adityanath said the state now “guarantees effective law and order arrangements”.
He also highlighted the better inter-state connectivity in Uttar Pradesh, saying that the days of pothole-ridden roads were over.
Ahmed and Ashraf were gunned down while being escorted to a Prayagraj hospital on Saturday night.
The gangster-turned-politician, who was under police escort, was talking to reporters Saturday night when a gun was pulled close to his head. After the shots were fired, the three assailants — posing as journalists — surrendered and were taken into custody. Ahmed’s son Asad was shot dead by police days earlier.
Leaders across political parties have condemned the murders, calling them “extra judicial killings”.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi: “Crime has reached its peak in Uttar Pradesh and the criminals are unfazed. When someone can be shot dead amid a police cordon, then what about the safety of the general public? An atmosphere of fear is being created.”
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted this minutes after the news of the killings broke – “Atiq and his brother were in police custody. He was handcuffed. JSR (Jai Shri Ram) slogans were also raised. The killing of both is the failure of Yogi’s law and order system. Those celebrating Encounter Raj are also responsible for this murder.”
Atiq had recently moved the Supreme Court for protection, claiming he could be killed in a fake encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Also read: UP: SIT to recreate crime scene in Atiq, Ashraf murder case