Islamabad “categorically rejected” Indian media reports alleging Pakistani links to the two suspects in the Udaipur terror attack, who beheaded a Hindu tailor for supporting comments that insulted Prophet Muhammad.
The Pakistani Foreign Office released a statement dismissing the allegations as mischievous attempts to link the assailants to a Pakistani organisation. It added that such “malicious” and “misleading” insinuations were “typical of the BJP-RSS ‘Hindutva’ driven Indian regime’s attempts at maligning Pakistan including by externalizing their internal issues through pointing of fingers towards Pakistan.”
The press release came in response to a statement by Director General of Police (DGP) ML Lather claiming that one of the accused, Ghouse Mohammad, had visited the office of radical group Dawat-e-Islami during a trip to Karachi in 2014. Rather noted that the group has offices in Kanpur, Mumbai, and New Delhi.
The DGP also said that the incident is being treated as an “act of terror.” To this end, the case was lodged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Here is the written application by #Kanhaiyalal seeking withdrawal of his complaint and asking the police not to act against the accused. Kindly share this with your reporter too. It is advisable to check facts before tweeting - in the interest of peace, if not truth. #Udaipur https://t.co/5k6UDIS5AO pic.twitter.com/3F5MOdq1Vr
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) June 29, 2022
Echoing Rather’s claims,, Rajasthan’s Minister of State for Home, Rajendra Singh Yadav, said Ghouse had been calling “8-10 phone numbers” in Pakistan “for the last 2-3 years.” He added that he also visited several Arab countries in 2018 and 2019. He thus asserted that the crime “is not one which could have been committed by a common man.”
On Tuesday, Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor in Udaipur, was beheaded by a pair of Islamic radicals. The accused put up a video on social media declaring that the attack was to avenge the insult to Islam, after Lal voiced his support on social media for suspended Bhartiya Janata Party media official Nupur Sharma, who openly mocked Prophet Muhammad a few weeks earlier. The two assailants were arrested shortly after the attack.
Subsequently, reports began to circulate that the tailor had earlier sought police protection from a man named Nazim Ahmed, who had filed a complaint against Lal on June 10. Lal had informed the police that five to seven individuals had been surrounding his office and threatening to kill him if he opened his shop. After the police brokered peace between the two, the tailor withdrew his complaint. However, no link was found between Ahmed and the two accused of Lal’s murder.
MHA has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take over the investigation of the brutal murder of Shri Kanhaiya Lal Teli committed at Udaipur, Rajasthan yesterday.
— गृहमंत्री कार्यालय, HMO India (@HMOIndia) June 29, 2022
The involvement of any organisation and international links will be thoroughly investigated.
After Tuesday’s incident, the state’s Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot chaired a review meeting in Jaipur, following which he said that the “preliminary probe reveals that the incident has been committed with an objective to spread terror and fear.” He also suggested that the two accused had links to international organisations, hence justifying the involvement of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
On Wednesday, upon the instruction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NIA reregistered an FIR for several crimes, including murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, a prominent Muslim organisation condemned the incident, saying that such brutal killings under the “pretext of the insult to Islam” go “against the religion of Islam.” Leaders of political parties, including the Indian National Congress, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Aam Admi Party, also condemned the brutal murder.
Rajasthan | Morning visuals from #Udaipur where Section 144 is imposed for a month, after the killing of #KanhaiyaLal pic.twitter.com/VG4sg4Lv0G
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 30, 2022
Lal’s murder has caused popular outrage in several regions. In the Rajsamand district in Rajasthan, a police officer was critically injured after protestors attacked him with sharp weapons. In addition, a ban on gatherings of over five people has been imposed in Udaipur under Section 144.
Neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, too, is on high alert and has banned processions and protests and required organisers of religious events to seek special permission.