Amid the ongoing Urban Local Bodies polls in Uttar Pradesh, death of Asad, son of mafia don Atiq Ahmed, and his accomplice in an encounter triggered a political controversy with Opposition parties demanding a high-level probe into the incident.

While the ruling BJP and the state ministers were lauding the STF for neutralising the criminals, the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress insisted on a probe into the encounter.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appreciated the UP DGP, Special DG and the entire police team along with UPSTF for the encounter. Principal Secretary Home Sanjay Prasad informed him about the encounter. The report of the encounter has been handed over to the chief minister.

Earlier, Yogi had asserted in the assembly that his government will dump the criminals in the dust.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has also congratulated the UP STF after former MP Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad and his associate were killed in the police encounter.  He said that it was certain that the murderers would eventually be punished. He said criminals should be treated like criminals, nothing more.

“We will not compromise at all on the issue of law and order,” he averred.

The deputy chief minister also said such a fate of a criminal should serve as a lesson for parents who should have ensured that their wards won’t become criminals.

State Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said no mafia would be spared. He (Atiq) will get the harshest punishment. The Yogi Government is committed to provide safe governance to the people.

Reacting to the news of the encounter, slain lawyer Umesh Pal’s wife Jaya said that justice has begun to be delivered and whatever has happened was good. She said today her heart has gotten some relief. Atiq should also be killed in an encounter and then only we will get the real justice.

Crediting and thanking Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the outcome, Umesh Pal’s mother Shanti Pal said, “The police have done their duty. We were already demanding that the criminals be killed in an encounter. Whatever has been done to them has a legal basis. These people were escaping the law for so long. Now that the police have taken them to their logical end my soul is satisfied. They shot my son and the gunner sitting behind him. Today’s encounter has given me a lot of relief.”

In his reaction to the encounter, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, in a tweet, called the encounter illegal and demanded a high-level probe to bring out the truth.

He tweeted, “By doing false encounters, the BJP government is trying to divert attention from the real issues. The BJP does not believe in the court at all. Today’s and recent encounters should also be thoroughly investigated and the culprits should not be spared. Power does not have the right to decide what is right or wrong.”

BSP chief Mayawati tweeted, “Many types of discussions are hot on the killing of Prayagraj’s Atiq Ahmed’s son and another in a police encounter today. People feel that their apprehension of a repeat of the Vikas Dubey incident has come true. Therefore, a high-level inquiry is necessary so that the complete facts and truth of the incident can come in front of the public.”

In a tweet, Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said, “Uttar Pradesh Encounter, ask whether BJP govt will shoot those who killed Junaid and Nasir in Haryana.”

“Will BJP people shoot those who killed Junaid and Nasir also, but will not because you do encounter in the name of religion”.

The Congress also questioned the encounter, calling it a clear case of violation of human rights.