'Mitti me mila denge': Yogi's furious speech after prime witness killed in a case involving Atiq Ahmed

Prayagraj shootout: A day after a deadly shootout in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said his government will finish mafias operating in the state and will not spare anyone. "In mafiyon ko mitti me mila denge (will finish these gangsters)," he said while speaking in the state assembly. Naming mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, the chief minister said the gangster was nurtured by the Samajwadi Party (SP). 

Yogi's warning comes just a day after Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 Raju Pal murder case, was shot dead at his residence in Prayagraj. One of Pal's gunners, who too was hit in the firing, died later at a hospital. The Prayagraj Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma said Pal was attacked with crude bombs and shot outside his house.

Two of his gunners were injured in the attack - both gunners were deployed in Pal's security by the government. Umesh was the prime witness of the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal. The main accused in the Raju Pal murder is Atiq Ahmed, who is currently lodged in a Gujarat Jail.

Today, CM Adityanath said the shootout incident in Prayagraj was unfortunate. He assured the House that the state had been acting with a zero-tolerance policy and the results would be out soon. "Let there be no doubt about it," he said. "But who has nurtured these criminals and mafias," the chief minister asked, directing his attack at the Samajwadi Party.

The CM said that the mafia against whom the family of the victims have lodged a complaint was made an MP by the Samajwadi Party. "Is it not true? You (SP) will nurture criminals and blame others," the chief minister said. Upset at the charge, former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav got up and said: "You (Yogi) are not taking the name of the Bahujan Samaj Party as you have friendship with them."

To this, the chief minister shot back and said: "Atiq Ahmed, against whom the victims have filed a complaint, has been nurtured by the Samajwadi Party." He then warned: "I am saying this in House, we will finish this mafia (iss mafia ko mitti me mila denge)."  Ahmed was Lok Sabha MP on an SP ticket from Phulpur from 2004 to 2009. 

   
The CCTV footage of the shootout in Prayagraj has gone viral on social media. In the video, a number of unidentified persons can be seen attacking Pal and his gunners. The police said they are trying to identify the attackers on the basis of CCTV footage of the area. The Prayagraj Police Commissioner said that the incident occurred right outside the house of Umesh Pal. "So far it has been confirmed that two bombs were thrown and a small firearm fired at him," he said.

The Prayagraj CP said the police have detained more than half a dozen people in the case and two sons of Atiq Ahmed are among them. The police have formed eight teams to investigate every aspect of the incident and arrest those behind the attack, the commissioner said.

(With inputs from PTI)