Look who's talking

Ateeq Ahmad, in the advertisement, appealed to party workers "not to carry firearms

Mafia-don-turned-Samajwadi Party candidate for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections Ateeq Ahmad (pictured) has become a talking point in the charged political theatre of the state, with newspapers splashing full-page advertisements of him urging supporters to maintain law and order. Ahead of his public rally, Ahmad, in the advertisement, appealed to party workers “not to carry firearms and to pay toll tax on the way”. While such appeals from leaders are uncommon, what takes the cake is Ahmad’s own track record: Among other things, he was booked by authorities for barging into a college campus with firearms.