Law dead, bullets rule in Uttar Pradesh: Opposition slams UP govt

The Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh will have to face the consequences of the ldquorule of bullets in place of lawrdquo in the state Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar said on SundayHe was responding to queries on the killing of gangsterturnedpolitician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj on Saturday night Three men posing as journalists shot the siblings while police were taking them to a hospital for medical checkupOther opposition parties also hit out at the BJP government for the ldquototal collapserdquo of law and order in UP and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath CPIMrsquos Sitaram Yechury tweeted ldquoJungle Raj under BJP Yogi govt in UP Apprehend perpetrators amp punish them stringentlyrdquoAlso Read Atiq Ahmad killing 3member judicial committee asked to submit enquiry report in 2 monthsTMC MP Mouha Moitra said ldquoBJP has turned India into a mafia republic Two men in custody shot dead in front of a zillion policemen amp camerasmdashthis is the death of the rule of lawrdquo she said Moitra said she can even believe that the BJP got the shooting done to ldquodeflect attentionrdquo from repercussions to the Satya Pal Malik interviewCongress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said there are courts to ensure that criminals get the harshest punishment but ldquoplaying with law and order only gives birth to anarchyrdquoThe UP government on Sunday constituted a threemember judicial commission to probe into the killingsBut Congress leader Kamal Nath and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi demanded a Supreme Courtmonitored probe into the killings ldquoThese are highly radicalised elements Who are these peopleafter firing they raise religious slogans What will you call them if not terrorists Will you call them lsquodesh bhaktsrsquo Will you garland themrdquo Owaisi askedMeanwhile prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC have been issued in all districts of Uttar PradeshlsquoCollapse of law and orderrsquoMayawati BSP chieflsquoThe shooting dead of Atiq Ahmad who was brought from Gujarat jail and his brother Ashraf who was brought from Bareilly jail last night in Prayagraj in police custody is just as heinous as the Umesh Pal murder case It raises serious questions on the law and order of the UP government and its style of functioningrsquoMamata Banerjee CM West BengallsquoIt is shameful that criminals are now taking the law into their own hands unfazed by the police and media presencersquoMallikarjun Kharge president CongresslsquoJudiciary has the right to decide the punishment of the criminal This right cannot be given to any government any leader or any personrsquoCentre to prepare SOPs for journalistsThe Centre has decided to prepare standard operating procedures for journalists after three assailants posing as media persons killed Atiq Ahmad and his brother in Prayagraj sources said They said the Home Ministry will prepare SOPs for the safety and security of journalistsAtiq had told SC he will be killedTwo weeks before the killings the Supreme Court had dismissed Atiq Ahmadrsquos plea seeking protection during his custody with the UP police While denying former Samajwadi Party MPrsquos requests that his life is under threat the SC on March 28 said the UP state machinery would take care of his protection Atiq had sought protection claiming that he and his family have been falsely ldquoroped inrdquo as accused in the Umesh Pal murder case in PrayagrajThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever