A day after the assassination of Atiq Ahmed in Prayagraj city of India, western media publications in their coverage laid more emphasis on the political career of the gangster than his criminal background. Almost all the foreign media houses called him a former lawmaker in their reports, choosing to omit that he was a former gangster and named in dozens of criminal cases, including murder cases.
In its report published on Sunday (April 16), Reuters not only referred to Atiq Ahmed as a ‘former Indian lawmaker’ but also made passing remarks about his criminal history.
While the assassination has been described in detail, the media outlet also ensured that the mention of a judicial probe into the case is prefixed by the reference to BJP as a ‘Hindu nationalist party.’
Reuters also referred to the police encounter of Asad Ahmed but without delving into the details of his criminal activity. Thereafter, it relied upon testimonies made by an Opposition leader (Akhilesh Yadav) to cast aspersions on the ability of the Uttar Pradesh government and police to crack down on criminals.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also used a similar ploy wherein it focused on every other aspect except for the criminal record of Atiq Ahmed.
“Experts have raised questions on how a man could be killed in front of the media and the police,” it insinuated about government underhand in the assassination.
Not surprisingly, the UK’s national broadcaster also lay emphasis on the meteoric rise of the gangster in the political sphere. BBC also cast doubts about the encounters carried out by the Uttar Pradesh police.
“Rights activists accuse the police of carrying out extra-judicial killings, which the state’s government denies. The police usually calls them “encounters” – many say these are really staged confrontations which almost invariably end with dead criminals and unscathed police,” it claimed.
Associated Press employed similar tactics but went a step ahead in demonising the sacred Hindu chant of ‘Jai Shrim Ram.’
“The men quickly surrendered to the police after the shooting, with at least one of them chanting “Jai Shri Ram,” or “Hail Lord Ram,” a slogan that has become a battle cry for Hindu nationalists in their campaign against Muslims,” the report read.
It also cast aspersions on police encounters, especially the one pertaining to Atiq Ahmed’s son Asad. The report also identified BJP as a ‘Hindu nationalist party’ and suggested a larger conspiracy into the assassination of the gangster.
While it is not unusual for Western media publications to whitewash criminals, it is perhaps the first time that a gangster’s political career is the topic of discussion rather than his criminal background.