A delegation of the CPI(M) went to Ghatmika village in the Mewati area of Rajasthan on February 17 and met the families of Junaid and Nasir, who had been kidnapped, brutally beaten, and then allegedly burnt alive by Hindutva workers belonging to Bajrang Dal.
The delegation comprised of Brinda Karat (Polit Bureau member) Amra Ram (Rajasthan State Secretary and member Central Committee) Sumitra Chopra, Dr. Sanjay Madhav, Raisa (Rajasthan state secretariat and state committee members), and advocate Shabbir Khan.
The delegation inquired about the reported cases against Junaid on charges of ‘cow smuggling’. “These cases had been filed during the earlier BJP regime along with cases against many others in surrounding villages. Since there was no evidence of any kind, Junaid was never arrested nor have any of the charges been proved even after all these years. In fact, they were false cases filed by a vindictive government to justify the spate of incidents of violence against cattle farmers and traders by the gau rakshak gangs,” the party said in a press release.
The CPI(M) strongly condemned the brutal killings. “The policy and patronage of the Haryana government and police in protecting the criminal activities of the so-called gau rakshak gangs must be held responsible. The Rajasthan government must also immediately probe the role of the Rajasthan police in this case. The CPI(M) will be giving a memorandum to the chief minister with the above demands,” the party informed.
Charred bodies of Junaid (35) and Nasir (25) were found in a car in Haryana after the two men from Bharatpur district of Rajasthan were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes.
The Rajasthan Police had on Friday arrested one of the five persons named in the FIR lodged by family members at Gopalgarh police station.
Junaid had a criminal record of cattle smuggling and five cases were registered against him at different police stations, a police officer said.
The last rites of the two, who were related to each other, were conducted on Friday after authorities announced a financial aid of Rs 20.5 lakh to each of the affected families.
Rajasthan’s Minister of State for Education Zahida Khan had met the affected family members.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday demanded a CBI probe into the matter and alleged that the Bajrang Dal’s name was being dragged into the case due to “political bias”.
Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the VHP.
On the victims’ families alleging the Bajrang Dal’s role in the killings, the Rajasthan BJP said it is not justified to malign an organisation before the investigation is completed.
“Whether the accused have links with the Bajrang Dal or are cow vigilantes, it is a matter of investigation. It is not justified to malign any organisation. It will be better if the police take action against those who are guilty,” state BJP spokesperson Ramlal Sharma told reporters on Friday.
