Two illegal buildings owned by Mukhtar Ansari demolished in Lucknow

In an operation against encroachment on government land on Thursday morning, the authorities here demolished two illegal buildings owned by gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari in the posh Dalibagh area, officials said.

Government officials and police personnel were present in large numbers in the area when the buildings were being demolished, a government spokesman said.

"UP police today demolished illegal property of gangster Mukhtar Ansari. All the expenses for the demolition will be realised by the Yogi government from the gangster. Criminals should either give up crime or be ready to face such tough decisions," Mrityunjay Kumar, media adviser to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said in a tweet.

The building had been constructed on "nishkrant sampatti", belonging to people who have migrated to Pakistan, the government spokesman said.

Expenses of the demolition will be recovered and an FIR will also be lodged, he said, adding that the responsibility of officials under whom this illegal construction took place will be fixed.

The map of the property was not passed by the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), the spokesman said.

The state government had recently seized properties of aides of Mukhtar Ansari, the sitting BSP MLA from Mau, and also suspended arms licences of four of his aides in Ghazipur.