SP leader's supporters display 'firepower'

Caring very little for Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav’s repeated warnings, SP leaders continue to display their utter disregard for the law.

The supporters of SP leader Shafiq-ur-Rehman Burq displayed their ‘firepower’ on the roads of Amroha, about 450 kilometers from here, as they welcomed Burq, who arrived there after being declared SP nominee from Sambhal Lok Sabha seat on Monday.

Hundreds of Burq’s supporters fired indiscriminately in the air at Narangpur, Zoya and other places in the district as terrified passers by fled from there. The cops present there allegedly remained mute spectators.

The SP leadership had on Monday decided to field Burq from Sambhal seat replacing its earlier candidate. Burq had crossed over to SP from BSP after being denied a nomination from the party.

Traffic came to a halt on the national highway as Burq’s supporters took out processions and burst crackers. Long queue of vehicles was witnessed on both sides of the highway causing a lot of difficulties to the common people.

A few days back a similar display was witnessed when mafia don-turned-politician and SP Lok Sabha nominee Atiq Ahmed had shown his muscle power on the roads in Sutanpur, 125 km from here, after being declared the party candidate. 

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had then expressed serious displeasure 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. Atiq’s supporters had also opened fire in the air, terrorising people.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. 

His constituency was later changed to Shravasti. Earlier also, the supporters of  many SP leaders, including ministers, had behaved in a similar manner despite repeated warnings by the SP leadership.