Mukhtar Ansari's Legacy: A life of crime and controversy ends behind bars

Mukhtar Ansari was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar – from 1996 to 2022 – twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, twice as an Independent, and once as a Quami Ekta Dal nominee.

Mukhtar Ansari's death, like his life, was a headline grabber.  The Uttar Pradesh gangster-politician remained a controversial figure even in his passing. Hundreds thronged his funeral, while politicians bickered based on their allegiances.  The cause of death, a purported heart attack, sparked debate. Did he truly succumb to natural causes, or was he poisoned in Banda Jail?

The tide began to change, and rapidly at that when Yogi Adityanath came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. In his quiet, but very tough way, he pledged to crackdown on criminals and reform the criminal justice system.

Incarceration of 2 notorious names from the world of local crime - Mukhtar Ansari and Ateeq Ahmed was meant to show that no one is above the law.  All had visible and powerful connections within the Indian polity. Also, they were considered heroic outlaws in their fiefdoms. Both are now dead.

Trail of Mukhtar Ansari:

•  Mukhtar Ansari, 63, was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar – from 1996 to 2022 – twice as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, twice as an Independent, and once as a Quami Ekta Dal nominee.

•  The gangster-turned-politician had been behind bars in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab since 2005. He had more than 60 criminal cases pending against him.

•  Mukhtar Ansari was sentenced in eight cases since September 2022 by different courts in Uttar Pradesh and was lodged in the Banda jail.

•  In 2022, Mukhtar Ansari passed on the baton to his elder son Abbas Ansari, who won from the same assembly seat as a candidate of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party in 2022, which was then in an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Incidentally, Abbas was a national level shotgun shooter.

I spoke with a retired senior Jail officer in UP, Ambreesh Gaur. He was in-charge when both Mukhtar and Ateeq Ahmed were in prison. He said, “Mukhtar was a flagrant flouter of rules; constantly demanding comforts in prison; making veiled threats.”

Apparently, Mukhtar gently conveyed to Gaur that he had checked out his antecedents and lineage. The menace and manner were meant to warn the Officer to stay in Mukhtar’s good books. The officer used humour to deflect it by saying his family and others were staying away from Azamgarh, Mukhtar’s domain.

Mukhtar’s political pedigree was impeccable. He is the grandson of Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari who was the President of Indian National Congress in its early years. His maternal grandfather was Brigadier Mohammad Usman. Mukhtar also happens to be a distant nephew of India’s former Vice-President Hamid Ansari. It is a sad commentary though when someone as erudite and accomplished as Hamid Ansari gets targeted for being a relative of Mukhtar.

Mukhtar had an impressive clout in the Varanasi-Mau-Ghazipur-Jaunpur region. In a carefully cultivated philanthropic image, he financed marriages and provided other forms of charity. All while in prison.

Anecdotal evidence of his influence was given by retired Jail officer Ambreesh Gaur. In 2007, Nasimuddin Siddiqui, the BSP MLA, met Mukhtar in jail at night. Immediately post the visit, the same Jail officer got a call from a superior, saying transfer orders of Mukhtar to Ghazipur jail should be prepared immediately. By midnight, Mukhtar had been escorted out. The reason given was he was required for some local elections.

Lucknow old-timers talk of Mukhtar’s presence at weddings where a long line of men would queue up to kiss his hand, as a sign of obeisance and gratitude. He was also very close to Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.

But ever since the BJP took over in Uttar Pradesh, Mukhtar was apprehensive about a threat to his life. His best days were over.

Mukhtar was kept under constant CCTV surveillance that was monitored from a control room in Lucknow. This was done to ensure he comes to no harm inside the jail. His life came under greater threat ever since two of his trusted men were killed.

In 2018, Munna Bajrangi, one of Mukhtar’s gang members was killed in the Baghpat district jail. In August 2020, Rakesh Pandey was killed in Lucknow in an encounter by the police. Both these men were part of the gang that killed Krishnanand Rai, BJP MLA, in 2005.

Also Read | Mukhtar Ansari's journey through the years: From the 'Terror' of Purvanchal to a ‘Bahubali’ politician

Mukhtar went after rival gang member Brijesh Singh ever since he became an MLA in 1996. They clashed over the region's contract business. But in 2002, Krishnanand Rai, another BJP MLA, allegedly supported Brijesh.

In 2002, Mukhtar’s convoy was ambushed by Brijesh Singh. Three of Mukhtar’s men died while some from Brijesh Singh's gang also died. Brijesh Singh was critically injured. But he survived.  In 2004, the UP-State Task Force had internally warned of Mukhtar’s men purchasing light machine guns from international dealers.

In November 2005, Krishnanand Rai along with six other people, were killed in a daytime attack.

In 2010, Mukhtar was suspended from BSP due to his criminal activities. He then formed a new political party Quami Ekta Dal (QED). In 2016, news of Mukhtar’s party QED being merged with SP at the initiative of Shivpal Yadav triggered a rift with Akhilesh Yadav.

The BJP government wanted to send out the signal it wants to rid the state of “goonda raj.” That did find resonance. I spoke with a carpet manufacturer in Bhadohi (UP), who said they suffered a lot during the SP regime. “There were blatant attempts made for land grab, extortion, thugs landing up at our manufacturing unit on the flimsiest of pretext,” he said. Other manufacturers too in that belt feel more secure under the BJP regime.

Mukhtar Ansari was buried at the Kali Bagh burial ground in Ghazipur.  Police and paramilitary forces faced a tough time in managing the crowd. Ansari’s family has alleged that the 63-year-old was being “slow-poisoned” in the Banda jail.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that a Supreme Court judge must probe the death of Mukhtar Ansari. "It is the foremost responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone's life in every situation and at every place," Akhilesh Yadav said.

BSP president Mayawati also demanded a high-level probe into Ansari's death.

Senior journalist in Lucknow, former bureau chief of Blitz, Pradeep Kapoor said, “These statements are being made due to political compulsions. Both Akhilesh and Mayawati are targeting the Muslim votes in the Eastern belt of Azamgarh, Ghazipur, and Mau. There was a time this belt belonged to comrades before the caste factor took over. People like Atul Kumar Anjaan of the CPI, considered to be highly competent, were gradually swept away.”

What should be remembered is Muslims account for 19 percent of Uttar Pradesh's population and their voting behavior is likely to define the outcome of around 24 Lok Sabha seats with a 20-50 percent Muslim population.