BJP MLA, 6 aides gunned down in UP

Principal Secretary (Home) Alok Sinha said that Rai and his men were travelling in three vehicles to Khatwa Narainpur village in Balia district when they were gunned down.

‘‘He (the MLA) inaugurated a cricket match at Tihari village at noon and left for Khatwa Narainpur village to attend a ‘‘tilak’’ ceremony. At around 3 pm, more than a dozen criminals intercepted the vehicles, attacked Rai, killed him and his supporters, and fled,’’ Sinha told reporters.

According to Sinha, the criminals had parked five motorcycles and a Tata Sumo a few yards from the spot on Ghazipur-Balia main road.

Sinha said there appears to have been an exchange of fire but none of the attackers was killed. ‘‘It appears the MLA’s supporters and the attackers exchanged fire. We are trying to collect details,’’ Sinha added.

Sinha said Rai’s supporters who survived the attack took all seven bodies to the MLA’s native place Godaur under Karimuddinpur PS of Ghazipur district.

Fearing violence in retaliation to Rai’s killing, the state administration has sent four companies of PAC to Ghazipur to prevent any such flare-up, sources said. ‘‘Senior officers, including ADG (Law and Order) and IG (STF) have been rushed to the spot. IG (Varanasi zone) and DIG (Azamgarh) have reached Ghazipur,’’ Sinha told reporters.

The attack appears to have been planned. The site is not only on the Ghazipur-Balia border but also very close to the UP-Bihar border. According to reports from the spot, the criminals hid in the bushes and ambushed Rai. Buxar town in Bihar is close to the spot.

The MLA had been engaged in a political war of supremacy with rival and don-turned-poltician Mukhtar Ansari who represents Mau Assembly seat. Ansari, an Independent MLA, is now in jail in connection with the recent Mau riots.

Meanwhile, reports from Ghazipur said shopkeepers downed shutters as news of the killing spread. About three years back, in an exchange of fire allegedly between supporters of the slain MLA and Ansari, three persons had died. Later, in January 2004, Mukhtar’s cavalcade was attacked in Cantonment area allegedly by Roy’s supporters. During the last Lok Sabha election, Sheshnath, a Roy supporter and close relative of an MP, was killed near Mohanpur village in Mohammadabad tehsil of Ghazipur district. Recently, three supporters of Roy were reportedly killed at Parasa village in Ghazipur district.

Rai had won the Mohammadabad Assembly defeating Afzal Ansari, brother of Mukhtar. Afzal had represented Mohammadabad seat five times.

PROTESTS: VEHICLES SET ON FIRE

VARANASI: Angry BJP workers today set afire vehicles in several localities here in protest against party MLA Krishnanand Rai’s killing in Ghazipur, police said, adding that BJP workers ransacked shops, set ablaze several vehicles and damaged hoardings at Pandeypur, Sigra and lanka areas. PTI