Akhilesh Yadav targets CM Yogi over Ankit Balyan murder

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the fatal shooting of singer Ankit Balyan, stating that the gang allegedly behind the murder has a name that bears a “striking resemblance” to a “prominent figure” in the state.

"The bullets didn't just strike an innocent youth from our state; they also hit the law and order in the Kotwali area of UP," Akhilesh Yadav wrote in Hindi on X, referring to the location of the murder.

"The chief minister kept claiming that mafia and criminals have left Uttar Pradesh; but here, the opposite has happened—gangsters and thugs from other states have come to UP, firing dozens of rounds and committing murders," he added.

The SP supremo was referring to speculation that the Gogi gang, which operates primarily across Delhi and Haryana, was behind Ankit Balyan's murder.

"Their gang's name also bears a striking resemblance to that of some prominent figure in UP. What is this connection called? The killers are brazen and their morale is sky-high because they feel a sense of belonging to the corrupt rule of the UP BJP government, which shields those of its own kind in power and corrupts the police through fake encounters," Akhilesh Yadav stated.

The former chief minister's post was a direct attack on Yogi Adityanath's projection as a leader tough on law and order. The ruling BJP will seek a third consecutive term when Uttar Pradesh goes to polls early next year.

Ankit Balyan, a 32-year-old singer and YouTuber from Haryana, was shot dead by four armed assailants outside a gym in Shamli's Kotwali area on August 26. Preliminary information suggested that around 18 rounds were fired at him in the point-blank attack.

Police are examining a possible gang-war angle after a social media post by Bholu Shahpuriya, who is purportedly linked to the Gogi gang, claimed responsibility for the killing.

The post alleged that Ankit Balyan had been supporting the gang's "enemies" and had made a song about the killing of gangster Jitender Mann, alias Gogi. It also warned that those supporting the gang's rivals would meet a "similar fate."