"Mukhtar Ansari was a Robin Hood figure. He was a champion for the poor. Those who raise their voice for the underprivileged are often labeled as outlaws by the media," lamented a Samajwadi Party legislator on arriving at Mohammadabad in mourning. Ansari reportedly suffered a heart attack during his incarceration this Thursday and consequently passed away in the hospital.
The SP legislator stated, "The real criminals, those who are seizing the lands and homes of the poor... those with hundreds of cases against them... you journalists never utter the word 'mafia' for them. He was the poor man's Robin Hood. He was elected as an MLA five times and even during his time in jail, the public honored him with their votes."
Read about his journey:
'... first, call them the mafia'
A Samajwadi Party legislator stated, "The actual dons, the state's Chief Minister who had dozens of cases and retracted them, the Deputy Chief Minister with hundreds of cases retracted theirs as well." Mahendra Nath continued, "Call them the mafia first, then we can talk."
Who was Mukhtar Ansari?
Mukhtar Ansari was a five-time former MLA from Mau Sadar seat and had been behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He was facing over 60 active criminal cases. Since September 2022, he had been convicted in eight different courts across UP and was detained in the Banda Jail. Ansari had featured on the list of 66 gangsters released by Uttar Pradesh Police last year. His family had previously expressed fears that he might be eliminated in a staged encounter.
Read more: From a freedom fighter's grandson to a mafia lord, discover the criminal chronicle of Mukhtar Ansari
'Mukhtar was being given slow poison'
Afzal Ansari claimed on Tuesday, ''Mukhtar Ansari alleged that he had been poisoned with a toxic substance in his food. This was the second occurrence. About 40 days ago, he was poisoned for the first time and recently on March 19, or March 22, he was poisoned again.'' His lawyer had asserted in a Barabanki court that Mukhtar was being administered a 'slow poison.'
