Uddhav warns those giving Palghar case a communal twist

Mumbai/New Delhi: Facing criticism for the lynching of three men — including two Hindu sadhus — in Palghar district, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai/New Delhi: Facing criticism for the lynching of three men — including two Hindu sadhus — in Palghar district, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a set of measures to bring the guilty to book, while warning against giving the incident a communal flavour.

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In a video message on Monday, Thackeray announced the setting up of a high-level police probe into the incident; the suspension of two police officials for dereliction of duty; outlined the nature of the incident and the action taken so far, including the arrest of over 100 accused; and summarised his conversations with home minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath about the incident.

On Thursday, a mob of villagers attacked and lynched three men — Kalpavruksha Giri, Sushil Giri and Neelesh Telgade — in Gadhchinchale village, 110km from Palghar on April 16. The first two were Hindu ascetics affiliated with a religious akhara in Varanasi; the third was their driver. They were reportedly headed to Gujarat to attend the last rites of their religious guru. But the crowd suspected them of being child-lifters, dragged them out of the car, and beat them with sticks. The police said they were outnumbered.

A video of the incident became public on Sunday, sparking accusations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the state government failed to ensure law and order. BJP supporters on social media also launched an attack on the Maharashtra government for what they alleged was negligence since the case involved Hindu religious figures.

Thackeray said that the two sadhus had reached the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli but were not allowed by local authorities to enter the area, and hence were returning through internal roads. “The police have already arrested more than 100 suspects including five key accused responsible for the incident. The key accused have been given police custody till April 30. We have suspended two policemen holding them responsible for the incident. Nobody involved in this heinous crime will be spared.”

He also announced a high level probe by additional director general (CID) Atulchandra Kulkarni into lynching case.

The Maharashtra CM issued a strict warning not to use the incident to inflame communal passions, and said he had apprised home minister Amit Shah about the case. “Even Amit Shahji knows that the incident had no religious connection as the village in which the incident took place has no such background. I have requested him to taken strict action against the people trying to spread communal tension using social media. We too are taking action against the bid to arouse religious sentiments using the incident.”

State home minister Anil Deshmukh said that those who attacked and who died in the Palghar mob killings were not from different religions, and underlined that he had asked the Maharashtra police and the cyber cell to take action against anyone instigating communal hatred in the society or on social media.

The CM also spoke to UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who had tweeted urging his Maharashtra counterpart to take strict action against the culprits involved in the lynching of the three men.

While condemning the incident, the Congress — which is a part of the Maharashtra government — accused the BJP of communalising it. “We unequivocally condemn it. There is no place for violence in our civilised society and the strictest possible action must be taken against the accused,” Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement. But he added that there was no communal or Hindu-Muslim angle to the attack as was being sought to be projected; and the accused belonged to the tribal community. “Tragically, BJP and its echo system as also a section of media are attempting to project the incident with communal overtones.”

The BJP rejected the allegation. Sunil Deodhar, a national secretary of the party, said the allegations that tribal people attacked the trio suspecting them to be thieves is fabricated. “No adivasi attacks those in saffron robes, unless they have been brainwashed for years. I am familiar with the area and it’s a stronghold of the communists who hate those in saffron,” he said. On Thackeray’s statement, Deodhar said that the CM was “beating around the bush, instead of addressing the issue”.