"Murder of law": Opposition leaders target Yogi government after Atiq Ahmad, brother shot dead

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were killed in Prayagraj. He was shot point blank. The firing took place near MLN Medical College premises, where they were being taken for medical examination in Prayagraj. The incident has evoked sharp reactions within the political circles. 

After the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath summoned ADG law and order Prashant Kumar. The chief minister will be chairing a high-level meeting.A high alert has been issued in Prayagraj, and additional forces, including Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed in the nearby districts. 

The incident has evoked sharp reactions within the opposition. Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav said the killing of the duo in broad daylight showed that crime was at its peak in the populous state.AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government and said 'their murder is a perfect example of Yogi’s big failure of law and order'. Taking to his Twitter handle, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Crime has reached its peak in UP and the morale of criminals is high. When someone can be killed by firing openly amidst the security cordon of the police, then what about the safety of the general public? Due to this, an atmosphere of fear is being created among the public. It seems that some people are deliberately creating such an atmosphere."

On the other hand, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said those celebrating encounter-raj are equally responsible for this murder."Atiq and his brother were killed while in police custody and were handcuffed. Slogans of JSR were also raised. Their murder is a perfect example of Yogi’s big failure of law & order. Those celebrating encounter-raj are equally responsible for this murder," Owaisi said in a tweet.AIMIM leader Waris Pathan tweeted (in Hindi), "Murder of court, law, Constitution! All the courts should be closed in Uttar Pradesh.""In a society where murderers are celebrated, what’s the use of a criminal justice system?", he questioned. Atiq Ahmed was recently convicted in the kidnapping case of Umesh Pal. He was also an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case.