New Delhi: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday visited the ancestral home of Mukhtar Ansari in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, following Ansari's demise. On meeting the family of the deceased gangster turned politician, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "Whatever happened was shocking for everyone. What's even more shocking is, that Mukhtar Ansari himself said that he is being poisoned". He also questioned, "How can we accept that this was a natural death?".
Samajwadi Party shared photos of the visit on social media.
Mukhtar Ansari's son Umar Ansari mentioned the support extended to them by former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. He said, "Akhilesh Yadav came and met us, he boosted our confidence".
Akhilesh Yadav's Politics Is Of Vote Bank: Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya
However, the visit didn't go down well with the BJP leaders who condemned it as "vote bank politics"
Uttar Pradesh Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya took a swipe at Akhilesh's visit, saying, "Akhilesh Yadav's politics is of vote bank and the people have neglected vote-bank politics.
Union Minister BL Verma also joined the bandwagon and slammed Akhilesh for visiting the gangster's house, stating, "Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party has a history of supporting hooligans and criminals".
Mukhtar Ansari, five-time MLA of Uttar Pradesh, died on March 28 evening because of cardiac arrest.