Atiq Ahmed - Criminal or Religious Hero ?

Atiq Ahmed (10 August 1962 – 15 April 2023) was an Indian gangster turned politician. He served as a member of the Indian Parliament and the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from the Samajwadi Party. Atiq Ahmed had more than 100 criminal cases registered against him and connections with ISI, and he competed in several elections from jail.

On 15th April,2023 around 10:36 pm Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed were shot dead in an
shootout in Prayagraj (UP) when they were being taken for medical checkup in police custody. The three shooters came as reporters and shot them 18 rounds, after shooting Atiq and Ashraf the shooters raised slogans of "Jai Shree Ram". After the incident took place Mr. Yogi Adityanath, Chief minister of UP, imposed Section144 in the state to prevent any act of communal violence. While most of the people across the country were happy to see a criminal dead which did soothe the hearts of the family members of people who were killed by Atiq and his gang; people of Atiq's community (Muslims) and left wingers were in a state of shock and, Atiq's death felt like loosing a hero to them. A huge number of tweets started floating focusing on Atiq's death and how UP government is responsible for killing of Atiq and his brother. Some politicians also posted their reactions and blamed the government for not maintaining law and order and also that government has no right to pass the judgement who's wrong and who's right. The funeral had a very big no. of people gathered and Atiq and Ashraf's coffins decorated with garlands as if he was a war hero.

The tweets and reactions didn't include that after all Atiq was a criminal, what they focused on was that he was a muslim. I felt more surprised when I looked back on Vikas Dubey's death, his father and family denied to take the body and perform his last rites and his wife said that he deserved it for the sins he had done but the whole muslim community was backing Atiq just because he was a muslim no matter how many people he got killed of his own community. The day after saw people marching with candles in their hands paying their respects to the "GREAT CRIMINAL" or "The HERO For The MUSLIMS" I'd say (I'm glad I don't share my ideology with such people). I feel sorry to see the educated youth also joining them and then these people say that we must never doubt their patriotism, why shouldn't we ?

Now the stream of tweets and posts in which muslims and left wingers were expressing their sorrow and conveying their condolences to Atiq's family has changed its course to HATEFUL REMARKS against the Hindus and abusing Hindu gods just because the shooters who killed Atiq and Ashraf were Hindus. They are posting threats on social media that they'll kill all the Hindus just like the shooters killed Atiq and yet no course of action is seen against such people rather the police and the system chooses to arrest Hindus for the crimes and violence done against themselves only. Is it just because Muslims use victim card in front of the media and other countries that they are being oppressed in the country in which they are the minority (as they call themselves) ? or is it because we Hindus and the people of all other religions stand with the truth and justice?

Watching people classify a notorious person as a CRIMINAL or a HERO on the basis of their religion really wrenches my heart.