Those behind Kanhaiya Lal murder are 'BJP people': Rajasthan CM Gehlot

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has claimed that those behind Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal’s murder last year were “BJP people”, who had been freed from police detention days before the incident

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has claimed that those behind Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal's murder last year were "BJP people", who had been freed from police detention days before the incident under the party's pressure.

He levelled the charge during a meeting here on Sunday with Congress leaders and workers ahead of the November 25 Rajasthan Assembly polls. The Udaipur tailor was murdered on June 28 last year by two cleaver-wielding men who accused him of insulting Islam.

The opposition BJP in the State dismissed the allegation and attributed the tailor's brutal murder to the failure of the Congress-ruled State government to contain communal incidents.

"The accused in the Kanhaiya Lal murder case are BJP people. They had been caught by police two-three days before the incident over some altercation and the BJP leaders had got them out from police detention," Mr. Gehlot alleged.

He claimed the BJP had become "defensive" about the incident because of this.

In his recent speeches in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also targeted the Gehlot government over the incident.

Refuting the allegations, the BJP's election in-charge for western Rajasthan and Rajya Sabha member Rajendra Gehlot asked if the accused had been caught by police, why they were let off.