Apna Dal of UP turns 'Apna' for mafias

Lucknow, Sep 5 (UNI) Apna Dal today said the party would not hesitate to field any mafia, including Abu Salem, in the coming 2007 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, if they promise not to be involved in crime in future.

Party's national president Sone Lal Patel said here that no criminal was 'untouchable' for Apna Dal. ''We will give such elements ticket in the assembly polls, if they promise to lead a clean life after entering in politics.'' To a specific question on Dawood Ibrahim and Abu Salem if they wanted to contest UP polls, Dr Patel said his party was not averse to giving ticket to anyone. ''Apna Dal opposes crime and not the criminals,'' he observed.

He also said if Salem wants, then Apna Dal would give him the political platform to contest the assembly polls from Mubarakpur.

Salem has shown interest in contesting the UP polls and his family members have started campaigning for the don lodged in the Mumbai jail.

Underworld don Babloo Srivastava had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election from Sitapur on Apna Dal ticket.

The Apna Dal supremo said it was the duty of the society to give another chance to these criminals to serve the country and the people.

In the 2002 assembly polls, four MLAs were elected on the party ticket, but later all of them switched over to the Samajwadi Party.

SP MP from Phoolpur and mafia don Atiq Ahmed was one of the MLA elected on Apna Dal ticket.

UNI MB VS MSJ PC1629