'No mafia can ever...': UP CM Yogi Adityanth's big claim after brazen murders of Atiq Ahmed

The murder of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed in UP Police custody has triggered a wave of criticism against the Uttar Pradesh government with people questioning the state law and order in the state.

Adityanath made the comment during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up textile parks in the Lucknow and Hardoi districts.

The textile parks are being established under the PM Mega Integrated Textiles and Apparel (PM Mitra) scheme.

"Now, a professional criminal or a mafia cannot threaten an industrialist over the phone," Adityanth said as the audience broke into a round of applause, reported NDTV.

"Uttar Pradesh was notorious for riots. Just the names of many districts scared people. Now there is no need to be scared," the Chief Minister said.

Taking potshots at the previous Akhilesh Yadav government, Adityanath said that the state faced more than 700 riots from 2012 to 2017.

However, in the period between 2017 and 2023, there were no riots in Uttar Pradesh, and there was no need for imposing a curfew, which makes it the perfect time for investment and industrial development.

Adityanath claimed that Uttar Pradesh now provides reliable and robust law and order arrangements.

The Chief Minister’s remarks follow the recent killing of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf outside a hospital in Prayagraj. The two were accused in the murder case of Umesh Pal and were brought to the hospital for a medical check-up when they were shot and killed by three shooters.

The murders have brought the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh under the scanner, particularly regarding the police's preparedness and response.

The incident occurred while the two were accompanied by a police team and was broadcast live, leading to a wave of criticism from the opposition, especially the Samajwadi Party.

Akhilesh Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and chief of Samajwadi Party, in a tweet referring to the killings, alleged that an ambiance of fear is being created among the general public.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government has established a three-member judicial committee to probe the murder of Atiq Ahmed, amidst intense criticism of the incident. The state police, which has also faced harsh criticism, will also investigate the case.

The reports are due in two months’ time.

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking an independent inquiry into 183 encounters that have taken place in Uttar Pradesh in the past six years, including the recent killings of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his son Asad.

The plea also challenges the appointment of an inquiry committee by the UP government, which has been criticised for its handling of the case.

Atiq Ahmed and his son Asad were among the accused in Umesh Pal, who was murdered in February. Pal was a witness to the murder of a Bahujan Samaj Party leader Raju Pal in 2005.