Mukhtar Ansari mention attracts trouble

Samajwadi Party’s Sambhal candidate Zia Ur Rahman Barq, the grandson of incumbent MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, sought votes in the name of the “sacrifice” of gangsters-turned-politicians Atiq Ahmad, Mukhtar Ansari and Md Shahabuddin. An FIR was lodged against him late on Monday for the speech.

“If alliance govt is formed, UP govt will also not be able to survive for long. Today, we all have to make a historic decision. We have to get each and every vote to be cast. People of BJP and RSS are working under a mission to increase their own votes and using every possible method to cut our votes. Though we're lagging behind in this effort, our mathematics is much better than theirs,” he added.

Zia is currently an MLA from Kundarki assembly segment in neighbouring Moradabad district. He belongs to the 'family of Turks' who are sizable in number in Rohilkhand region. Zia was unavailable to comment on Monday.