No police official was ready to speak and even the press conference of DGP R K Vishwakarma, slated at 1500 hrs could not be held till 1630 hrs without giving reason for the delay.
Last night Samajwadi Party president and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was first to tweet at around 2300 hrs, just within 30 minutes of the incident alleging, “crime has reached its peak in UP and the morale of the 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.”
However, SP national secretary general Prof Ram Gopal Yadav on Sunday said that there was a planned murder of Atiq and very soon his remaining sons will also be killed.
Talking to reporters, Prof Yadav said that Atiq and his brother Ashraf were murdered when they were handcuffed by the police. So, it is clear that it is a planned murder.
“If proper investigation is done, then several big people will get trapped in it,” he said, adding that “Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said that he will mix Atiq and his family in the soil. That is why nothing is going to happen to the people who killed Atiq.”
Prof Yadav said that what is happening in Uttar Pradesh now has never happened before in history and it seems that it is the way to end democracy.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati in a couple of tweets said: “Atiq Ahmed from Gujarat jail and his brother Ashraf, who were brought from Bareilly jail, were openly shot dead last night in police custody in Prayagraj, just like the heinous murder of Umesh Pal. There are many serious questions on the law and order and functioning of the UP government.”
“It would be better if the Supreme court took up the issue and ordered a probe.. Anyway, instead of “Rule of law by law” in UP, now how appropriate is it to become an encounter state? Something to think about?,” she added.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her statement said: “The law of our country is written in the Constitution. This law is paramount. The criminals should be given the harshest punishment, but it should be under the law of the land.”
“Playing with or violating the rule of law and judicial process for any political purpose is not right for our democracy. Whoever does this, or gives protection to those who do such, should also be held responsible and the law should be strictly enforced on him. It should be the endeavor of all of us that the justice system and the rule of law should prevail in the country,” she further stressed.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the responsibility of the murder that took place yesterday lies with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. If constitutional morality is alive in him, then he will have to leave his post.”
“We demand that the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh should resign. The Supreme Court should appoint an investigation team and take suo motu cognizance of the matter. Otherwise, it will continue. According to the Constitution, all those policemen should be removed from their service,” he demanded.
