Like the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots polarised the state along Hindu-Muslim lines in the run-up to the 2014 LS polls, the Atiq-Ashraf killings threaten to do the sameahead of the big battle in 2024
For chief minister Adityanath, in a perverse sort of way, the sordid episode will be a shot in the arm and strengthen his image as someone going after criminals belonging to the minority community.
In its propaganda magazine, Al-Qaeda praised gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf as "martyrs". The terror group has threatened attacks on India over the UP gangster's murder.
Shaista Parveen maintained a low profile until 2019, when her husband was shifted to a Gujarat jail. Wanted by police, she now carries a reward of Rs 50,000.