Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday reacted to the incident that occurred during the funeral of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari.
The SP leaders' reaction came a day after an argument broke out between the district magistrate and MP Afzal Ansari in Ghazipur on Saturday during Mukhtar Ansari's last rites ceremony, allegedly over who can offer soil.
In a tweet, hitting out at the Yogi Adityanath government, Akhilesh Yadav wrote, "Na-insafi ki hadd to dekho ab to mitti tak par aitraz hai. Na bhool ye tu hukmaran qayamat tak n hua kisi ka raaj hai," which roughly translates to "Look at the limit of injustice, now even the offering of soil is being objected to. Do not forget, this ruler's reign will not last until the Day of Judgment."
Two days after his death at Banda hospital due to a cardiac arrest, Mukhtar was buried at a graveyard in his hometown, Mohammadabad, on Saturday. During the last rites ceremony, a massive crowd gathered near the burial site, resulting in an argument between the district magistrate and Afzal Ansari, MP and Mukhtar Ansari's brother, over who would offer the soil. The video of the spat has been widely circulated on the internet.
According to reports, the argument broke when the district administration, in an effort to control the large crowd gathered, purportedly prevented certain individuals from entering the cemetery to offer ceremonial soil on the grave as part of the burial tradition.
A video of the incident, purportedly depicting Afzal Ansari asserting, "You cannot prevent anyone from offering soil," surfaced on social media platforms. In response, Ghazipur DM Aryaka Akhoury questioned, "Can the entire town offer soil?" Afzal Ansari countered, stating that "anyone from anywhere who wishes to offer soil will do so."
When the DM mentioned the imposition of prohibitory orders in the district and inquired about seeking permission, Ansari argued, "You cannot prevent anyone from participating in a burial, despite Section 144 (of CRPC)." The DM informed that the funeral was being recorded, and legal action would be taken.
The local administration arranged extensive security measures outside Ansari's residence and the burial site.
Police encountered difficulties managing the crowd, which attempted to forcibly enter the restricted burial ground. Additional Director General of Police (ADG) Piyush Mordia from the Varanasi Zone was present in Mohammadabad to oversee the arrangements.
Upon reaching the cemetery, Afzal Ansari also urged the crowd to maintain peace.
