UDAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday strongly condemned the brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur over a social media post in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma and blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the rising communal violence in the country.
“It's a sad & shameful incident. There's a tense atmosphere in the nation today. Why don't PM & Amit Shah ji address the nation? There is tension among people. PM should address the public and say that such violence won't be tolerated and appeal for peace,” Rajasthan CM said on the Udaipur murder incident.
It's a sad & shameful incident. There's tense atmosphere in the nation today. Why don't PM & Amit Shah ji address the nation? There is tension among people. PM should address the public&say that such violence won't be tolerated & appeal for peace: Rajasthan CM on Udaipur murder pic.twitter.com/rkX0VRJPk0
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2022
The Rajasthan Chief Minister also appealed to the people to maintain peace. "I condemn the heinous murder in Udaipur. Strict action will be taken against all those involved in the crime and the police will go to the bottom of the case. I appeal to all the parties to maintain peace. Strictest punishment will be given to those involved in such a heinous crime," he said.
On Twitter too, CM Ashok Gehlot appealed to people to maintain peace and asked them not to share the videos. "The guilty will not be spared. The entire police team is working on it with full alertness. I can imagine the anger which is there among people due to the murder. We are taking action accordingly," he later told reporters in Jodhpur.
उदयपुर में युवक की हत्या के दोनों आरोपियों को राजसमंद से गिरफ्तार किया गया है। इस केस में अनुसंधान केस ऑफिसर स्कीम के तहत किया जाएगा एवं त्वरित अनुसंधान सुनिश्चित कर अपराधियों को न्यायालय कड़ी से कड़ी सजा दिलवाई जाएगी। मैं पुन: सभी से शान्ति बनाए रखने की अपील करता हूं।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 28, 2022
The remarks from the Chief Minister came shortly after a tailor, identified as Kanhaiya Lal, was attacked with sharp-edged weapons and brutally murdered in the Udaipur city of Rajasthan on Tuesday over a Facebook post in support of BJP leader Nupur Sharma who has now been suspended after making a controversial remark on Prophet Muhammad.
The gruesome murder of the victim in broad daylight inside his shop on a crowded street in Udaipur has triggered huge tension in the Lake City after the murderers posted a video on social media claiming to ''teach a lesson to the victim'' for putting up a social media post.
The video of the gruesome murder has gone viral on social media, which is being termed as a ''Taliban-style murder.''
It has now emerged that the middle-aged victim was hacked to death for supporting now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma in a social media post over her controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammed.
As the news spread, the police reached the spot and began their investigation into the murder. The attackers later released a video in which one of the two accused could be heard saying, "I will make the video viral when I accomplish my goal to teach a lesson to the accused who has shown disrespect to our God."
In their video, the killers also threatened PM Narendra Modi with dire consequences and used highly objectionable words against him. Police sources said that the plot to murder this man was chalked out some 10 days ago. The police also said the tailor had received threats from certain organisations over his post.
The state government has sent additional reinforcement to Udaipur and temporarily suspended the internet services for the next 24 hours in view of the incident. Hawasingh Ghumta, the Additional Director of Law and Order, told reporters that arrests will be made soon and they have received orders "not to spare anyone". He added that searches are on for the alleged killers who not only filmed the murder inside the tailor's shop but also gloated about the crime on the video and issued threats.
Meanwhile, the local traders have shut their shops in protest against the brutal murder. Shopkeepers stopped police from taking away the body, saying they will allow the removal of the corpse only after the murderers are arrested and compensation - Rs 50 lakh and a government job - given to the victim's family.
The main Opposition party in Rajasthan, the BJP, has strongly condemned the murder and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. "I have spoken to the Chief Minister, the Superintendent of police and asked that arrests be made as soon as possible so the anger simmers down," said Opposition leader Gulab Chand Kataria.
