SP MLA Pooja Pal Thanks CM Yogi, Says Husband’s Killer Atiq Ahmed ‘Eliminated’ Under Zero Tolerance Policy
Pal, whose husband was murdered in 2005, thanked Adityanath for delivering justice and improving law and order, contrasting it with her past struggles against the mafia.
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly has been in session for the past 18 hours, witnessing a mix of dramatic and unexpected moments. While two BJP MLAs clashed with each other, a Samajwadi Party legislator drew attention by openly praising the Yogi Adityanath government.
The praise came from Pooja Pal, the SP MLA from Prayagraj, whose husband, Raju Pal, was shot dead in broad daylight by gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his associates. Speaking in the Assembly, Pooja Pal lauded the state’s improved law and order and hailed CM Yogi’s “zero tolerance against crime” policy.
“My husband’s killer, Atiq Ahmed, was eliminated; that is Yogi Ji’s zero-tolerance policy in action,” she said. “I was very young when, just nine days after my wedding, my husband was murdered. What happened in Prayagraj was something no one thought possible. I come from a very poor family, but the people there spent their own money to ensure I could contest and win the election. I fought alone against the mafia, and I fought against injustice. Hanuman Ji’s devotee, our CM Yogi Adityanath, delivered justice to me.”
#WATCH | Lucknow, UP | Addressing during the 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047' in the UP Assembly, Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal says, "... Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave justice to many women like me by bringing in policies such as zero tolerance that… pic.twitter.com/fN0Agp2nka
— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025
"Everyone knows who murdered my husband... I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust," she added.
Pal further said, “The Chief Minister saw my pain and ensured justice. There are countless victims like me for whom CM Yogi has done the same. I thank him for adopting a zero-tolerance policy and ensuring my husband’s killer met his end.”
In February 2005, Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal was shot dead by assailants outside his Dhumanganj residence in Prayagraj. In 2007, Pooja Pal's brother, Umesh Pal, was abducted over Raju Pal's murder and was told not to testify in the case. In February 2023, Umesh Pal was murdered too, with Atiq Ahmad being the prime accused. Atiq and his brother Ashraf were shot dead a few months later while being in a police escort.
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