Reacting to the killing of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq in Uttar Pradesh's Dadri for reportedly consuming beef on Monday night, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday claimed that the lynching of the Dadri victim was a well thought-out plan by vested interests in view of the upcoming panchayat elections.
"The manner the rumour was spread and mob was gathered and attacked the victim.The way police came and started searching the victim's refrigerator to find whether there was beef in it instead of looking into the murder, it clearly shows that it was a well-planned strategy by those who wanted to create a communal strife in the region in view of the upcoming panchayat elections," said Prashant Bhushan.
He said the BJP's reaction that the murder was right if the victim was consuming beef, and the threat to call 'mahapanchayat' if the arrested people were not released soon by the saffron party's associates, elucidate that the BJP and Hindu organisations were behind it.
"The silence maintained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP's brass is very important, as it means that it is a BJP's well thought-out strategy to spread communal violence across the country, which is a matter of serious concern, and the nation will have to reckon with it," Bhushan added.
On Monday night, following the rumours that Akhlaq and his family had consumed beef, mob barged into their house and beat Akhlaq to death, while his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured in the incident. The family, however, has maintained that the meat stored in their fridge was mutton and not beef.
Meanwhile, officials have sent the meat samples for a forensic test.