"UP's Priority Is Law And Order": Minister VK Singh On Encounter Of Gangster's Son

Responding to the killing of gangster Atiq Ahmed's son, by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), in an encounter, Union Minister General VK Singh (retd) on Thursday said that the priority of the State's Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is law and order.

"CM Yogi's priority is law and order. He is following that path. We should not see or speak more than that. Different kinds of terminology go around, and different types of words are used in politics. But the main thing is law and order," he said.

The Union Minister added that action will be taken against those who try to flee and run away from the law.

Earlier in the day, Atiq Ahmed's son Asad, and another accused Ghulam, were killed in an encounter.

Both of them were wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj. Each of them carried a reward of Rupees five lakhs.

"Asad, son of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ghulam S/o Maksudan, both wanted in the Umesh Pal murder case of Prayagraj and carrying a reward of Rupees five lakhs each; killed in an encounter with the UPSTF team led by DySP Navendu and DySP Vimal at Jhansi. Sophisticated foreign-made weapons recovered," UP STF said.

Reacting to the encounter, Shanti Devi, the mother of slain lawyer Umesh Pal on Thursday thanked Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, and expressed her full faith in the Uttar Pradesh government, for giving "justice".

"I thank CM Yogi ji for serving justice and I appeal to him to give us justice ahead also. We have full faith in CM," said Shanti Devi, mother of Umesh Pal, the advocate who was killed in broad daylight in Prayagraj earlier this year.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also hailed the state Special Task Force on the encounter and termed the action, a "message to criminals".

While speaking to ANI, Maurya said, "I congratulate UP STF for this action. Police fired in retaliation after they (Asad and his aide Ghulam) fired upon them. It is a message to criminals that this is the new India. It is the Yogi govt in UP, not Samajwadi Party in power which gave protection to criminals".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)