Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), claimed on Tuesday that the country is in danger because a “atmosphere is being created” that suggests that breaking the law is the proper course of action. He said that the NCP will never compromise on law and order or the principles of the Constitution while speaking at an Iftar celebration hosted by the party. The seasoned politician was reportedly making reference to the death of politician-gangster Atiq Ahmad in Uttar Pradesh while he was being held by the police, news agency PTI reported.
“When someone does something wrong in society, law has provisions to deal with such a person. But by not following the law and Constitution and taking law into one’s hand…certain steps are taken. There is an attempt to create an atmosphere that this is the right thing to do, and this is not good for the country,” Pawar said.
#WATCH NCP chief Sharad Pawar says, “A country runs as per the Constitution and law. If ruling forces inculcate the habit of taking steps by ignoring the Constitution and law, we will go down the wrong path…If taking steps by forgetting law & Constitution and by taking law into… pic.twitter.com/l59RI4AhyK
— ANI (@ANI) April 18, 2023
NCP heavyweights including Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Fauzia Khan, and Mohammed Faizal, as well as former ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Anil Deshmukh, and Jitendra Awhad, were present at the occasion.
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On Saturday night in Prayagraj, three men acting as journalists shot and killed Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf as they were being taken by police to a medical college.
In more than 100 cases, including the February 24 murder of attorney Umesh Pal, Atiq Ahmad was implicated. On February 24 of this year, Pal, a witness in the 2005 slaying of Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Raju Pal, was shot and killed in Prayagraj. Last Friday in Jhansi, an encounter between Ahmad’s son Asad and the UP Police Special Task Force resulted in his death. Asad was one of the accused.
(With Inputs From PTI, ANI)