"Akhilesh Yadav has history of supporting hooligans...": Union Minister BL Verma

"Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party have a history of supporting hooligans and criminals. Mukhtar Ansari murdered so many people. This is just a political act of Muslim appeasement. BJP supports 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas' but will never support mafias," BL Verma told ANI.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met the family of the deceased gangster and said that whatever happened was "shocking" for everyone.

"Whatever happened was shocking for everyone. What's even more shocking is, that Mukhtar Ansari himself said that he was being poisoned. Did Manu and Umar Ansari's grandfather not have any role to play during the freedom struggle? The government wants to hide these things," the SP chief told reporters.

Akhilesh Yadav lauded the "contribution" of the family of Ansari and said that his family is involved in the welfare of the poor.

Mukhtar Ansari's son, Umar Ansari, said that Akhilesh Yadav came and met the family and he boosted our "confidence."

"My mother and brother were not there. My relationship with my father is different, but millions of others considered my father as their messiah. He gave courage to not just the family, but to all the followers of my father. We will fight a legal battle and have faith in our judiciary... Not just Muslims, but people of all castes and faiths still come and pay their respects at his grave," he added.

Mukhtar Ansari passed away at Banda Medical College Hospital in Uttar Pradesh after he suffered a cardiac arrest on March 28.

In April 2023, Mukhtar Ansari was convicted and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai by an MP-MLA court. He was sentenced to life in prison on March 13, 2024, in a case related to the use of forged documents for obtaining an arms licence in 1990. (ANI)