The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to cancel the arms licenses of mafia and criminal-turned-politicians and ispreparing a list of such names. According to highly placed sources, the stateHome Department is drawing up the list of such persons on the instructions ofthe Chief Minister.

"We are checking the track records of prominent persons with criminal antecedents and the number of arms licences issued to them. Weare also making a list of the licenses issued to their family and gang membersand supporters. It has been seen that though arms licenses are issued to familymembers, they are used in gang wars," said a senior official.

On the list are names of mafia-turned-politicians such as Mukhtar Ansari, Ateeq Ahmad, Dhananjay Singh, Abhay Singh and Raja Bhaiyya. Allthese leaders, sources said, have multiple licenses.

The state government believes that disarming persons with criminal antecedents would go a long way in improving the law and ordersituation in the state. This would also curb the public display of firearms,which is aimed at intimidating the public.