Now mafia cannot threaten anymore: Adityanath after Atiq, Ashraf murder
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that no mafia or criminal can threaten industrialists in the state anymore. This comes after the shocking murders of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed in front of Uttar Pradesh Police personnel. Meanwhile, Times Now obtained access to Atiq's alleged WhatsApp chats, in which he threatened several people, including a Lucknow-based builder in January.
Why does this story matter?
The killings have brought criticism to the Adityanath government and earned the police a bad reputation, despite the government's claims of "cleaning" the mafia. The opposition accuses Adityanath of abusing authority to attack competitors. Notably, Atiq, Ashraf, and several others were charged with the high-profile murder of Umesh Pal—a key witness in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal.
No need to be scared now: Yogi Adityanath
Speaking at an official event to mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) related to setting up textile parks, Adityanath said, "Now, a professional criminal or a mafia cannot threaten an industrialist over the phone." "Uttar Pradesh was notorious for riots. Just the names of many districts scared people. Now there is no need to be scared," the CM said.
Adityanath blames previous Akhilesh Yadav government for riots in UP
In his speech, Adityanath also slammed the previous Samajwadi Party-led Akhilesh Yadav government, alleging that UP witnessed over 700 riots between 2012 and 2017, but not a single riot between 2017 and 2023. "No curfew was imposed...That situation did not arise. This is the most conducive opportunity to invest, set up industries," he said, adding the state now "guarantees effective law and order arrangements."
'Sabka hisab hoga': WhatsApp chat shows Atiq threatening a builder
Separately, the WhatsApp chat in which Atiq allegedly threatened a Lucknow-based builder, saying, "sabka hisab hoga (everyone will be accounted for)," came to the fore. The alleged chat is from January 2023, when Atiq was inside the jail in Gujarat. "My sons will not become doctors or lawyers," he wrote while hinting at his son's involvement in his businesses.
You have taken my advantage the most: Atiq
"Many people in Allahabad have used me but you have taken advantage the most. Today you are filing an FIR and working under the shadow of police," Atiq's alleged message to the Lucknow-based builder from jail further read.
What do we know about Atiq-Ashraf murder incident?
In one of the rarest murder incidents, Atiq and his brother were shot dead by three shooters on Saturday while speaking to journalists outside a hospital in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. They were being sent to the hospital for a procedural medical check-up. The episode was caught on camera, which stunned many and raised serious concerns about the UP Police's security preparations for high-profile prisoners.
