Aligarh in security tightrope after Mukhtar Ansari's death, alert sounded across UP

Mukhtar Ansari, who faced accusations in over 63 criminal cases, passed away due to cardiac arrest in a hospital in Banda on March 28.

Aligarh, a hotbed of communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh, went under a security blanket on March 29, a day after the death of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari due to cardiac arrest.

Police staged a flag march in the town, while an alert was sounded across the state. "There is an alert in the region too, and SSP Aligarh is currently with us to assess the situation. The police administration will be vigilant on all of these issues," Inspector General for Aligarh Range Shalabh Mathur said. "We will also monitor the spread of rumours on social media."

Ansari was taken to the hospital around 8:25pm on March 28, according to an official statement from the hospital, where a team of nine doctors attended to him.

"Sad demise of former MLA Shri Mukhtar Ansari. May his soul rest peacefully. May the bereaved families find the courage to face this enormous sadness. Humble tribute!" the Samajwadi Party said in a post on X.

Opposition Congress used the incident to attack the ruling BJP. "Today, Mukhtar Ansari's death in jail raises serious concerns for the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government... This should be thoroughly explored so that everyone understands what's going on," veteran Congressman Surendra Rajput said.

Ansari was booked in 65 criminal cases ranging from murder to extortion and was elected an MLA five times on the tickets of different political parties.

Ansari was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Mau Assembly seat five times, twice as a candidate of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). He held significant influence in Ghazipur, his hometown.