JOIN USSP leader's supporters brandish guns
Mafia don turned politician and Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha nominee Atiq Ahmed displayed his muscle power on the roads in Sutanpur, 125 km from here, after being declared the party candidate.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav took strong exception to the brazen display and has sought a report from the district administration.
According to sources in the government, the chief minister asked the district police to submit a report within two days.
A probe into the matter has begun and the report will be submitted within two days.Sources on Tuesday said Akhilesh was upset
over the brazen display of firearms by hundreds of supporters of Atiq, who literally held the entire town to ransom, bringing traffic on all busy roads to a halt.
There were 200 vehicles in Atiq’s procession on Monday and his supporters carried modern weapons.
Though a large number of police personnel, including senior officials, were present at the spot, none dared to stop Ateeq and his supporters.
Reports said Atiq’s supporters also opened fire in the air, terrorising people.
Barely a day before Akhilesh defended inclusion of Atiq in the party and said that the SP would take support of any body, who could prevent communal forces from coming to power. On the cases pending against Ateeq, he had the law will take its own course.
Atiq, who faces 44 criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder, was recently inducted into the SP and immediately declared as its Lok Sabha nominee from Sultanpur parliamentary constituency.
Atiq was prosecuted under the Goonda Act, Gangster Act and the Arms Act in the past. He was the first person to have been booked under the Goonda Act.
He won from Phulpur Lok Sabha seat in 2004 on an SP ticket.
He was expelled from SP in 2008 and joined BSP. Ateeq contested the Lok Sabha elections from Pratapgarh seat in 2009 on the ticket of Apna Dal after being denied a nomination by BSP chief Mayawati.