Don Mukhtar alleges threat to life by Rajnath, senior cop

Lucknow, Mar 12 (UNI) Mafia-turned-Independent MLA from Mau Mukhtar Ansari, an accused in the murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, today alleged BJP president along with a senior cop of Varanasi planned to eliminate him on the Vidhan Bhawan premises.

Mukhtar raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly, which met here after a long break. He claimed he could be killed on the Vidhan Bhawan premises. The legislator also referred to the recent arrest of one Raju Tiwari on December 18, 2006 in Varanasi, and his reported confession that he had gone to shoot the MLA inside the room of state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Azam Khan.

Later, talking to newspersons the don claimed several BJP leaders including party president Rajnath Singh, BJP leader Surya Pratap Sahi and present SSP Varanasi Sujit Pandey were behind the plot.

'' These leaders and police officer are working for the dreaded criminals like Brijesh Singh, Tribhuban Singh, Vineet Singh and Ajay Singh'', he alleged.

The MLA said that during interrogation Raju Tiwari also disclosed that he on behest of some people wanted to tigger a bomb at Ghazipur civil court when he along with his MP brother Afzal Ansari where their.

He apprehended that killers could use police uniforms to carry out the killing. Police escorts Ansari in a Vajra riot vehicle from jail to enable him attend the House proceedings.

He also demanded a probe by the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police into the conspiracy.

Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey said security would be spruced up in the Vidhan Bhawan building.

Leader of the House and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said the matter was serious and assured of a probe by the STF.

Ansari was recently acquitted in a case of inciting communal violence in an eastern Uttar Pradesh town due to lack of substantial evidence.

The acquittal was granted by a Sessions' Court in Mau district.

Ansari was accused of opening fire at a Dussehra procession, killing a local trader Vijay Prakash and igniting a ''riot-like'' scene that left seven people dead and several injured.

According to CBI, on October 25, 2005, while surrendering in the Ghazipur Court, Ansari and his kin Afzal Ansari had allegedly instructed Sanjiv Maheshwari and associates to kill Krishnanand Rai, their political rival.

In furtherance of the conspiracy, Krishnanand Rai was shot at and killed by Munna Bajrangi, Ata-ur-Rehman, Firdaus, Azaz, Sanjiv Maheshwari alias Jeeva and others, the CBI investigation has revealed.

UNI