Lucknow, Aug 25 (IANS): The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to cancel the arms licenses of mafia and criminal-turned-politicians and is preparing a list of such names.

According to highly placed sources, the state Home Department is drawing up the list of such persons on the instructions of the Chief Minister.

"We are checking the track records of prominent persons with criminal antecedents and the number of arm licences issued to them. We are also making a list of the licenses issued to their family and gang members and supporters. It has been seen that though arms licenses are issued to family members, 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. All these 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 order situation in the state. This would also curb public display of firearms, which is aimed at intimidating the public.