In the monsoon session of Uttar Pradesh Assembly, during discussions of ‘Vision Document 2047’ Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Pooja Pal on Thursday publicly thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for what she described as “delivering justice” in the 2005 murder case of her husband, former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal.
Speaking during the 24-hour marathon discussion on the Vision Document 2047 in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the SP MLA expressed her gratitude to the chief minister for his “zero-tolerance” policy against organised crime highlighting the controlled ‘law and order’ situation under the Yogi Administration, which, she said, ultimately led to the elimination of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, the main accused in her husband’s killing.
“Everyone knows who murdered my husband,” Pooja Pal said in the Assembly. “I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust.”
She further remarked in Hindi, “Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko Mukhya Mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya” translating to, “The Chief Minister has buried my husband’s murderer, Atiq Ahmed.”
The Long Fight for Justice
Raju Pal, then a BSP MLA from Prayagraj, was shot dead on January 25, 2005, just days after his marriage to Pooja Pal. The brazen daylight killing, allegedly masterminded by Atiq Ahmad and his associates, sent shockwaves across the nation.
For years, Pooja Pal has maintained that successive governments failed to take decisive action against Ahmad, a former MP with a long criminal record. She recalled how she kept raising her voice despite political resistance. “When I saw that no one wanted to fight against criminals like Atiq Ahmed, I continued my struggle. But there came a time when I began to tire. At that moment, CM Yogi Adityanath gave me justice,” she said.
The case took a violent turn in February 2023, when Umesh Pal, a key witness in Raju Pal’s murder was gunned down in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area. Assailants opened fire and hurled crude bombs, killing Umesh and his two police security personnel. Once again, Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were named as prime suspects.
In April 2023, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were in police custody and being taken for a routine medical examination in Prayagraj when three assailants, posing as journalists, opened fire at close range. The brothers were killed on the spot, an incident that was captured live on television.
While the killings sparked debates over extra-judicial measures and law enforcement accountability, for Pooja Pal, it marked the end of an 18-year-long ordeal.
Pooja Pal’s open appreciation for Yogi Adityanath’s governance took many in the Assembly by surprise, including her own party colleagues. Her remarks drew loud applause from members of the treasury benches, with several BJP MLAs hailing it as validation of the state government’s “Yogi Model” of law and order.
“This is not just about me,” Pal told the House. “This is about many women in Prayagraj and across Uttar Pradesh who have suffered at the hands of criminals. The CM’s zero-tolerance policy has given us hope.”
The incident underlines the complex political undercurrents in Uttar Pradesh, where personal tragedies and justice delivered can cut across party lines.
