'Cops who killed Rahul should be tried for murder'

Political parties in Bihar react unanimously to the autopsy report, which said Patna boy Rahul Raj was shot from a close range rather then in an encounter by the M'rashtra police, reports Aloke Chatterjee.

Although diametrically opposed on most issues, political parties in Bihar were unanimous that policemen responsible for killing the Patna boy, Rajul Raj, should be tried on charges of murder. They were reacting to the autopsy report, which said that Rahul was shot from close range rather then in an encounter.

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National spokesperson of JD (U), Shivanand Tiwari, advised Centre to issue notice to Maharashtra government under Article 355 and impose President’s rule. He charged Maharashtra government of not functioning as per the Constitution. Referring to Rahul’s murder, Tiwari remarked, “It was a cold blooded murder”.

“The water is now going over our heads”, remarked Shyam Rajak, national spokesperson of RJD. He demanded a judicial probe into the incident, while demanding action against guilty policemen. He called upon parties across the UPA-NDA divide and the Left, to ask their MPs, MLAs and MLCs to resign en masse to lead a party less movement for restoration of dignity of Biharis. “Nitish Kumar should come forward and lead this movement. Laluji would also be with us”, he added.

State BJP chief Radhamohan Singh demanded invoking National Security Act against Raj Thakceray. Maintaining that happenings in Maharashtra indicated a plan being executed by MNS and Raj Thakceray to reduce the popularity of Shiv Sena and Bal Thakceray among Marathi masses. He urged all Union Ministers from Bihar to resign from the Union cabinet and come out into the open against MNS.

The President of Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee, Anil Kumar Sharma, pressed intervention of National Human Rights Commission to probe Rahul’s killing separately. He said, “We would urge the party high command to intervene to ensure that Deshmukh government in Maharashtra is functioning as per the constitution”. However, he criticised the manner in which the state government rushed with Rahul’s cremation at midnight without going in for a second autopsy as demanded by Congress.

Santosh Sahar, Central Committee member of CPI-ML (Liberation), described Rahul’s killing as the emerging trend of transforming state machinery for communal terrorism with the tacit support of both, Congress and BJP. “We demand a judicial inquiry into the murder of Rahul and dismissal of Deshmukh government”, said CPI National Council member Jabbar Alam. The State CPI (M) Secretary Vijay Kant Thakur, while urging the Centre to initiate action against Maharashtra government, charged RJD, particularly Lalu Prasad, of protecting the Deshmukh government.