Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has criticised the BJP government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh for celebrating 'jungle raj' of encounter as 'Ram Rajya'. Reacting to a question about the encounter of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's son Asad and his aide, Moitra cited the example of Vikas Dubey's encounter to claim that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister had justified it by saying 'cars can overturn'. Wanted criminal Vikas Dubey was killed in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in July 2020 when he tried to escape after the vehicle carrying him allegedly overturned.
"It doesn't surprise me because I remember when this gentleman was brought from Gujarat to Meerut, Honourable Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mr Ajay Bisht actually said cars can overturn. The other name for Mr Ajay Bisht was actually 'Mr Thok Do' because even when he was an MP, he would like to tell his police and law & order enforcement agencies that 'thok do' or finish them (criminals) off. So, this kind of complete lawlessness, jungle raj, without resorting to the law, encounter killings have always flourished under the gentleman and continues to do so," said Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra.
Honourable Thok Do CM’s latest encounter killings again celebrate the jungle rule the BJP pass off as Ram Rajya… https://t.co/cGS1dfa6yB
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 13, 2023
The TMC MP said that endorsement of this kind of violence or hatred by the sitting chief minister or home minister amounts to pointing fingers at the constitution. "Basically, when you have a Chief Minister or Home Minister sitting there saying it's okay...then you are pointing a finger at the Constitution. This is what BJP and this government have been doing day after day," she said. In a tweet, Moitra said, "Honourable Thok Do CM’s latest encounter killings again celebrate the jungle rule the BJP pass off as Ram Rajya."
Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad's son Asad and an accomplice, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case, were killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Jhansi on Thursday, officials said. "Asad and Ghulam were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each. They were killed in an encounter with an UP STF team," said Special Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar.
"Sophisticated foreign made weapons were recovered from the accused. Further details are awaited," he said, adding the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force team was led by deputy superintendents of police Navendu Kumar and Vimal Kumar. The encounter took place on a day Ahmad was presented before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Prayagraj in the murder case and was sent to 14-day judicial custody.
Visuals showed two bodies lying beside a motorbike at the site of the alleged encounter. An ambulance later took them away. STF officials said Asad and Ghulam were on the run since the murder of Umesh Pal on February 24. Several STF teams were pressed to track them down. (With agency inputs)
