New Delhi: In what comes as major embarrassment for Congress party & trouble for its star campaigner in Karnataka Imran Pratapgarhi, a video surfaced on social media today in which the latter can be seen & heard ‘singing paeans’ for the gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed.
Imran Pratapgarhi is Congress MP in Rajya Sabha. He was made a star campaigner, when the party released its list on April 19. Out of 40 star campaigners, Imran Pratapgarhi was ranked 37th in the list. Atiq Ahmed, a dreaded gangster of Uttar Pradesh, built his reign of terror in 1990s and had over 100 criminal cases lodged against him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today launched a scathing attack on Congress over its leader singing praises for the gangster and asked whether the party will drop him from campaigners list or will it side with sympathizers of criminals & gangsters.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted a video and questioned the connection between notorious criminal & Congress leader.
Imran Pratapgarhi, Rahul Gandhi’s handpicked member of Rajya Sabha and Congress’s star campaigner in Karnataka, is an apologist of don and now murdered criminal Atik Ahmed… pic.twitter.com/n9fNxSB2n2
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 20, 2023
Earlier in the day, Union minister Shobha Karandlaje also claimed that Gangster Atiq Ahmed & Ashraf were his (Imran Pratapgarhi) friends. Imran used to call them brothers.
#WATCH | Gangster Atiq Ahmed & Ashraf were his (Imran Pratapgarhi) friends. Imran used to call them brothers… Congress has kept him on the list of star campaigners for Karnataka polls, which shows Congress is in support of criminals and anti-nationals: BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje pic.twitter.com/O3vpXNWSTB
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2023
Pratapgarhi’s pictures with Atiq & Ashraf
What further added spark to Imran Pratapgarhi-Atiq Ahmed connection is the viral photo showing friendship between the duo.
Imran Pratapgarhi also shared a Facebook post, which shows both of them held tightly in a frame. He also describes Atiq as ‘brother’ & Ashraf as ‘sahab’.
The Facebook post, dated April 22, 2015, shows Imran Pratapgarhi ‘hosting’ the mafia brothers at home.
“Atiq & Ashraf bhai came to my residence and extended invitation to me,” the viral post says.
With purported Atiq-Imran connection emerging ahead of Karnataka election, Congress will find it difficult to defend him, especially when there is a general sense of joy & jubilation among public over killing of the gangster.
