Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday said that the law is paramount and that criminals should be given harsh punishment, but it should be under the law of the land. "Violating the rule of law and judicial process for any political purpose is not right for our democracy," she added.
"Whoever does this, or gives protection to those who do this, should also be held responsible and the law should be strictly applied to them. It should be the endeavor of all of us that the justice system and the rule of law should be raised in the country," said the Congress leader in a tweet in Hindi.
Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf who were handcuffed while being escorted by police for a medical examination at Prayagraj's Colvin Hospital were shot at point blank range by assailants posing as journalists while the mafia brothers were answering queries by mediapersons. The shooters immediately surrendered after opening fire at the mafia brothers.
Uttar Pradesh Police has registered an FIR against 5 people including two unknown persons.
Following the incident Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted a high-level meeting with the state officials and the police have heightened security. Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in all the districts of the state.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has been questioning the Yogi Adityanath government as the mafia brothers were shot dead in police custody. All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi demanded CM's resignation while Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav said that crime has reached its peak in UP.
Atiq was lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail while Ashraf was in Bareilly Jail and both were brought to Prayagraj for a hearing in the Umesh Pal murder case. Atiq was already sentenced to life imprisonment in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case.