As a debate rages in the country over the killing of UP gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf while being taken for medical examination in Prayagraj, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has taken a commendable step by returning the file of the expenses of the lawyers representing Mukhtar Ansari, another mafia don from Uttar Pradesh who served time in Ropar jail in connection with a case filed against him in Punjab.
The previous government in Punjab had allowed Ansari to stay in Ropar jail despite requests by the UP government for his transfer to Uttar Pradesh where he is wanted in scores of cases, including those involving murder. The gangster was kept in Ropar jail where his needs were taken care of. He deliberately kept avoiding appearance in the case to prolong his stay in Ropar jail which he and his family considered safe for him. He did not appear despite warrants issued for appearance 48 times. Expensive lawyers were hired for him, with expenses running into Rs.55 lakh.
Now AAP chief minister Bhagwant Mann has returned the file for clearance of these expenses and his government is planning to charge the expenses from the minister of the previous government who had ordered the gangster to be kept in the state. “I returned the file for clearing the expenses from money collected through taxes paid by people. The minister who was responsible for the decision (on Ansari), he will be asked to pay,” Mann said in a tweet.
In the year 2019 Mukhtar Ansari, an MLA from Mau in Uttar Pradesh, was lodged in Punjab’s Ropar jail where he was named in an extortion case. He did not apply for bail in the FIR registered in Punjab and the police did not file any charge sheet against him. Though several production warrants were issued by Uttar Pradesh Police against Ansari in multiple cases involving serious crimes, Punjab Police did not allow him to be shifted to UP on the grounds of ill health. The Supreme Court in the year 2021 ordered the transfer of mafia don from Ropar jail in Punjab to Banda jail in Uttar Pradesh.
Political patronage has always played a big role in making criminals defy the law with impunity. This is true of most of the states of the country, but the phenomenon has acquired dangerous proportions in states such as UP and Bihar. However, for the first time now, the Yogi Adityanath government in UP has succeeded in putting the fear of God and law into criminals.
A section of politicians has accused Yogi of deliberately targeting Muslim criminals while going easier on Hindu criminals. Nothing can be farther from truth. The reality is that the Yogi government has gone after hardcore criminals with a vengeance irrespective of their religious and political affiliations. In fact, on the list of criminals prepared by UP police for action, there are more Hindus than Muslims. One should appreciate the steps taken by chief ministers like Yogi Adityanath and Bhagwant Mann instead of trying to find fault with them because of political reasons. We must remember that criminals are criminals, irrespective of the faith they practice or profess.
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