Owaisi, Akhilesh brings out Asad's religion after the encounter

Jhansi, Apr 14: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday afternoon joined Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav in criticizing Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party after Asad Ahmad - an accused in the murder of Umesh Pal, whose father Atiq Ahmad is named in the same case - died in an encounter with UP Police.

 

 

 

Speaking in Telangana's Nizamabad, he asked if 'the BJP (will) also shoot those who killed Junaid and Nasir' - a reference to two men killed allegedly by cow vigilantes in February; their charred bodies were found in an SUV in Haryana.

 

 

 

"Will the BJP also shoot those who killed Junaid and Nasir? Will the BJP also encounter the killing of those who killed Junaid and Nasir? No, because you (the BJP) do encounters in the name of religion," a furious Owaisi said.

 

 

 

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has slammed Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for using 'fake encounters' to divert attention from 'real issues'. Yadav, a former UP chief minister, tweeted shortly after state police confirmed the killing of Asad Ahmad - the son of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad - in an encounter in Jhansi district. Asad and Atiq Ahmad are both accused of the killing of lawyer Umesh Pal. "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," Yadav tweeted. Asad Ahmad's killing comes less than a month before UP civic body polls. Asad and another accused in the same case - Ghulam - were shot dead in Jhansi and police recovered two foreign-made weapons.

 

Also Read: Gangster Atiq Ahmed's son killed by UP Police in an encounter 

 

Each had a reward of ₹5 lahks on their heads. The weapons were a .455-bore British Bulldog revolver and a Walther P88 7.63-bore pistol. Pal was a witness to the 2005 killing of Bahujan Samaj Party lawmaker Raju Pal, of which both Atiq and Asad Ahmad are accused. Pal was killed on February 24 outside his home in Prayagraj.