Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday met the family of deceased gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari at their Mohammadabad residence in Ghazipur district and demanded a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the former MLA’s death in jail. Ansari, a five-time MLA from Mau who had been in incarceration since 2005, died on the night of March 28 at Banda prison. The post-mortem report conducted by a team of doctors at Banda Medical College cited “heart attack/myocardial infarction” as the cause of the death, while Ansari’s family alleged that he was a victim of an “orchestrated plan”. “The incident (Ansari’s death) was shocking for everyone – for the family, and the common people. And it is even more shocking after Mukhtar Ansari himself said that he was being given poison (in jail). And that’s what came to the fore. I hope the government will bring out the truth and the family will get justice. Since the BJP government has been formed, the trust in institutions has fallen. You and I have seen in UP that people are setting themselves on fire for justice. People have gone to the CM’s residence and office and set themselves on fire. People have died in jails, hospitals, and police stations. The number of custodial deaths in UP is going up. What does the government want and what is this way of functioning of the government? We Samajwadis feel that justice should be done and truth should come out. The justice will only be done if the death is probed by a sitting Supreme Court judge,” Yadav who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, told mediapersons at Mohammadabad after meeting Ansari’s family. Akhilesh met Mukhtar Ansari’s elder brother Afzal, his son Umar, and nephew Suhaib Ansari “Mannu” and other family members. When asked about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying that whoever comes in the way of law and order will face “Ram Naam Satya”, Akhilesh said, “This language can’t be of a chief minister. There are institutions, courts, police stations, and tehsils. This language is being used because he wants votes. Because he has done no development. There is unemployment, and inflation and farmers’ income has not increased. With what face will they go to the farmers and youths who have been denied jobs due to paper leaks? Can’t you see it? The BJP government is using these incidents for its benefit. And the government is getting these incidents done to get its benefits. Because they don’t have answers to questions of people like paper leaks. I am listening to their speeches, and what they are saying. They want a gulf in society based on religion and caste.” “Institutions are being finished. We complain to the police and they are not giving justice. The officers are not giving justice. We are not levelling these allegations… Have we not heard the interview of the former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir (Satyapal Mallik), who has said that this is the last election of the democracy, and we must save it with our votes?” the former chief minister added. Praising the family of Mukhtar Ansari, the SP chief said: “Mukhtar Ansari’s grandfathers contributed to the country’s freedom movement. Why did things change and under what circumstances? This family is still helping the poor in times of need. Have we not seen how a sea of people came here after his death? Those people showed that they are standing with the family. Has the government and administration not discriminated against? You, me, and others… Will we accept that this was a natural death? Do the common people not feel that the government is hiding something? A leader of the opposition was poisoned and killed in Russia… Can you imagine that the government is being accused of murder? Did the Canadian Prime Minister not level such allegations,” asked Akhilesh Yadav.
