Sadaqat Khan is an accused in the Prayagraj murder.
A political slugfest has broken out between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Samajwadi Party over the public killing of a witness in a murder case last week. Umesh Pal, a witness in the murder case of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA, was shot dead in Prayagraj on Friday.
An undated photo of Sadaqat Khan, an accused in the Prayagraj murder, with Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav was shared by BJP leaders on Twitter.
Calling Samajwadi Party a "nursery of criminals", Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that the government has zero tolerance against crime.
"Our government has a zero tolerance against crime. The whole state knows that the Samajwadi Party is a nursery of criminals. But we are committed to ensure that no matter what reach any criminal has, we will not spare that person," Mr Pathak said.
Responding to the photo, Akhilesh Yadav said that anyone can come up and get a photo clicked with a public official.
"One can get a photo clicked with anyone. Yesterday, the CM and I had a photo together. Its the age of social media , anyone comes and gets photo clicked," he told the media.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei also shared an image of Khan with former BJP MLA Udaybhan Karwariya.
Sadaqat Khan, 27, was arrested by Prayagraj police for his alleged involvement in the planning and murder of Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder case of MLA Raju Pal in 2005.
Pal was shot dead by an unidentified man while he was getting out of the backseat of an SUV on the bustling main road of Prayagraj, one of the vast state's largest cities.
The attack was caught on multiple CCTV cameras.
The incident deflated the Adityanath government's claims of improving the state's law and order, the Samajwadi Party has said, linking the lapse with the BJP's growing proximity with Mayawati's BSP.
Last week, the Chief Minister lashed out at the opposition in the state assembly over the tough questions being raised after the public killing.
"Is it not true that Atiq Ahmed who has been accused by the victim's family, is part of the mafia fostered by the Samajwadi Party and we have only worked towards breaking its back?" Yogi Adityanath, pointing a finger at Akhilesh Yadav, said.
Mr Yadav had accused the state's police in "Ram Rajya" of being a "total failure".