E-Paper
Udaipur killing: BJP targets Congress over ‘appeasement politics’
The BJP slammed chief minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot for terming the incident as a murder and alleged the killing was not an isolated incident but marked continuation of a series of crimes linked to religious bigotry.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress government in Rajasthan for its alleged failure to curb communally-motivated attacks and asserted that the killing of a Hindu tailor by two men in the state was not merely a murder but a “terror attack”.
The party also slammed chief minister Ashok Gehlot for terming the incident as a murder and alleged the killing was not an isolated incident but marked continuation of a series of crimes linked to religious bigotry.
Two Muslim men hacked to death an Udaipur tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, on Tuesday afternoon for allegedly putting out a message in support of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma who had commented on Prophet Mohammed last month. The accused – Mohammad Riyaz Akhtari and Gaus Mohammed – captured the killing on their phones, and issued a threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they proudly posed with the knives used in the murder in a hate crime that has shocked the country. While the duo have been arrested, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the incident.
The BJP alleged that terror outfits are flourishing in Rajasthan due to the state government’s appeasement policy towards one community.
“The Rajasthan government is responsible for the terror attack in Udaipur. Extremist groups have been flourishing in the state and the government has left no stone unturned to directly and indirectly encourage terrorist organisations…,” national spokesperson and former Union minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore told reporters here.
Tuesday’s murder that was caught on tape is an attempt to terrorise society and is not the first such case in the state and in recent times, he said.
The BJP leader’s remarks came even as Gehlot said the Udaipur murder was meant to spread terror and that the accused have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
“Not a single week has gone by in the last six months when a terrorist attack has not taken place in Rajasthan… In the last three-and-a-half years, the government has not taken action… and such incidents are recurring,” Rathore said.
Also Read | Udaipur killing: Tailor had refused to open his shop, say locals
The former Union minister also referred to recent instances of violence in the state and alleged police inaction. “In Karauli, a maulana made a provocative speech and the police stood as mere onlookers. In Jodhpur, a man named Deepak was killed and police took no action… Ratan Soni’s legs were chopped off… but police intelligence is being used only for gathering political intelligence,” he said.
Accusing the Congress government in the state of following a policy of appeasement, he said: “The policies of the Rajasthan government evidently show appeasement towards a particular community. The government first arrested Kanhaiya Lal despite him seeking security. The local police put pressure on him to arrive at a compromise. Security was provided to the brothers of the accused. Lal was killed after he returned to his shop which remained shut for six days…” he alleged.
Lal’s family has alleged that he had received threats a week ago and had even informed the police about them but was not provided any security.
Hitting out at Gehlot, who is also the state home minister, for referring to Tuesday’s killing as a murder, Rathore said when videos urging others to also kill are released, such cases cannot be put down as murder for “personal or monetary issues”.
“He should take moral obligation – either he should take responsibility or quit,” he added.
Union information and broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur alleged the Rajasthan government has become a mute spectator to a crime that has crossed all limits of barbarity.
Also Read | Udaipur killing: Wife, relatives of murdered tailor Kanhaiya Lal want death sentence for accused
“A week ago, the videos of Kanhaiya’s killers were viral, but the Congress government was busy with the party’s internal wrangling. The Centre has handed over the investigation to the NIA, we will get to the bottom of it,” he said.
Hitting back at the BJP over its charge of appeasement, the Congress said the Gehlot government is aware of its “raj dharma” and that action in Udaipur murder case would be taken as per law, unaffected by the religion or caste of those involved.
“The Ashok Gehlot government got the accused arrested within six hours. An all-party meeting has been called in the evening. This whole matter has been fast-tracked. On the basis of what came up during the probe, Ashok Gehlot has assured all help to the NIA,” Congress’ media department head Pawan Khera told a press conference here.
“With the atmosphere being vitiated in the entire country for the last two months, Ashok Gehlot has been urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah that they address the country, take steps to stop the spread of hatred in the society, and appeal for maintaining peace,” he added.
Khera also dismissed BJP’s claims that terror outfits are flourishing in Rajasthan due to the state government’s “appeasement policy” towards one community.
“We assure you that action will be taken in accordance with law and neither religion nor caste or section will be looked at,” he said.
