Indian opposition leaders, family raise concerns over Mukhtar Ansari’s death in jail, demand probe
New Delhi: Indian opposition leaders and his family members have demanded an independent investigation into the mysterious death of Mukhtar Ansari, a senior Muslim politician and five-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh’s Mau district, who died in jail on Thursday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, officials claimed that Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh late last evening. They said Ansari was rushed to the hospital in Banda after he fell unconscious in the district jail. However, Ansari and his family members have repeatedly stated that his life is in danger, pointing to a plan to kill him. They moved to the Supreme Court of India regarding this matter. Even two days before his death, Ansari said he had been poisoned.
Ansari’s son Umar Ansari has said that his father was given poison in the dinner on March 19. Umar said he was not informed about the death by the administration but he came to know about it through the media. He said that two days back, he went to meet Mukhtar but was not allowed. “… We said earlier also and even today we will say the same about the allegation of giving slow poison,” Umar told reporters, adding, “We will move to the judiciary…”.
“A few days ago, he (Mukhtar Ansari) complained that he had been poisoned in jail, yet it was not taken seriously. Prima facie, this does not seem justifiable and humane. Constitutional institutions should take suo motu cognizance of such strange cases and incidents,” said RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav.
“The people of Ghazipur lost their favorite son and brother. Mukhtar Saheb made serious allegations against the administration that he was poisoned. Despite this, the government did not pay any attention to his treatment. Condemnable and regrettable,” Asaduddin Owaisi MP, AIMIM chief, posted on X.
“Earlier, Mukhtar Ansari had expressed fear of his murder. I demand a CBI inquiry into his death from the Honourable Allahabad High Court, Uttar Pradesh,” demanded Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad.
Congress leader Pappu Yadav called Ansari’s death institutional murder. He said, “Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, take suo motu cognizance of this! There should be an impartial investigation. He was making allegations for several days that he is being given slow poison. His MP brother also made this allegation. A constitutional indelible stain on the country’s system!”
Two days before his death, Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Afzal Ansari, a former MP and Samajwadi Party candidate from Ghazipur in 2024, said that he was being poisoned in jail as part of a conspiracy to murder him. “Mukhtar Ansari was fed food mixed with a poisonous substance. There is a conspiracy to murder him in jail,” Afzal Ansari told reporters.
Three months before, Ansari moved the Supreme Court about the possibility that he may be eliminated in custody. Ansari’s younger son, Umar Ansari, had approached the top court apprehending that the state government was planning to assassinate his father in Banda jail where he was lodged.
