Yogi Adityanath,  Akhilesh Yadav spar in UP Assembly over 2005 Prayagraj shootout

During the debate, the UP CM launched a broadside on Samajwadi Party accusing it of cultivating and patronizing mafia and criminals and taking the vow to eliminate all criminals completely from UP.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party President & MLA Akhilesh Yadav during the Budget Session of UP Assembly, at Vidhan Bhawan in Lucknow, Saturday. (Photo | PTI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party President & MLA Akhilesh Yadav during the Budget Session of UP Assembly, at Vidhan Bhawan in Lucknow, Saturday. (Photo | PTI)

LUCKNOW: With budget session getting into its sixth day on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Assembly witnessed a rare face-off between UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over Friday's shoot out in Prayagraj during which Umesh Pal, the prime eyewitness of 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, was killed along with the shooter.

During the debate, the UP CM launched a broadside on Samajwadi Party accusing it of cultivating and patronizing mafia and criminals and taking the vow to eliminate all criminals completely from UP.

“Iss House mein keh raha hoon. Iss mafia ko mitti me mila denge (I am saying it in this House, we will destroy this criminal),” the CM said in reference to Atiq Ahmed who has been named in Prayagraj shootout..

“Jitney mafias hain unko mitti me milane ka kaam karenge (I will destroy all the mafias),” he added. As soon as the house assembled on Saturday morning, the opposition, including Akhilesh Yadav, attacked the BJP-led government over the sensational shootout in Prayagraj on Friday evening calling it a complete failure of law and order in the state.

The CM started with expressing grief over the incident and assured the house that no mafia would be allowed to flourish in the state. Calling Prayagraj incident unfortunate, CM Yogi said that the government had taken cognizance of it and that action had begun.

Notably, in connection with Prayagraj shootout, gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, his wife Shaista Parveen, his brother Ashraf and both the sons along with other close relatives have been booked on the basis of the complaint given by deceased Umesh Pal’s family.

Shaista had recently taken BSP membership. With repeated interruptions from the Opposition during his speech, seemingly agitated UP CM rebuffed the Samajwadi Party by accusing it of protecting mafia Atiq Ahmed.

“Now they are raising fingers at the state government. The Prayagraj incident is very disturbing, but the guilty will not be spared and the action will soon be there for everyone to see,” said Yogi in the assembly. Leader of Opposition Akhilesh Yadav reacted to CM Yogi’s remark asking which party did criminal Atiq Ahmad belonged.

“Since you have a friendship with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), you are not taking the name of BSP.” CM Yogi asked if those named in Friday incident were not nurtured and protected by the SP.

“The Samajwadi Party had made Atiq Ahmed an MP. It is the BJP government that has broken his back. He became an MLA from Allahabad West in 1996 and an MP in 2004 and 2009 with the support of Samajwadi Party,” maintained Yogi.

“You will first give shelter to criminals and garland them and then create drama and make allegations on others,” added the CM. He continued his tirade by saying: “You needed an excuse for your misdeeds. They (SP) have been patronizing mafia and criminals continuously. Crime runs in their veins. They haven’t learnt anything except crime. The whole state knows this and today, they have come to give clarification.” Continuing his attack, the CM referred to the statement once made by SP patriarch late Mulayam Sigh Yadav.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com