On Sunday, thousands of men and women gathered at the Statue circle of Jaipur and took out a silent march organised by the "Sarv Hindu Samaj" with the support of the RSS, VHP, Shri Rajput Karni Sena and other Hindu organisations.
Protests erupted in Jaipur over the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal by two men on Tuesday who claimed in online recordings that they were retaliating for an insult to Islam.
In the protest, some people were seen reciting Hanuman Chalisa, whereas some shouted the slogans of Jai Shree Ram. However, most of the people who assembled at the statue circle, demanded that the killers of Kanhaiya Lal to be hanged.
Virendra Sharma of Vishwa Hindu Parishad told Outlook, “We shall continue to take out protests and demonstrations until the family of our brother Kanahiyalal gets justice. Our community stands together and we shall fight the evil”
The BJP MLAs such, MLAs Kalicharan Saraf, Arun Chatturvedi , BJP city president Raghav Sharma and MP Ramcharan Bohra were also present at the protest. However, none of them was seen leading the protest in which priests including Mahant Kailash Sharma of Motidungri Ganesh temple, Raghavacharya of Revasa Peethadhis, Saurabh Raghavendacharya of Pachar Peeth and several others were seen sitting on the stage.
Ashok Sharma, RSS Prachar Pramuk of Jaipur who also actively participated in the protest told Outlook, “The protest was an expression to tell the world that we shall not tolerate this kind of behaviour again. The Hindus across the country are united and shall ensure that the culprits are given the harsh punishment by the court”.
Mahipal Makrana of Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organization working for the Rajput community, who has been at the forefront of organising the protest told Outlook, “The Rajput community has been taking out protest in all major cities of Rajasthan. We cannot tolerate this type of brutal killing of an innocent man and hence we demand life sentences for the culprits. There is an undercurrent in the communities but we are hopeful that the law will take up its course”.
Curfew relaxed in Udaipur
At the same time, the curfew has been relaxed in Udaipur from 8 am to 6 pm on Sunday. However, the internet ban still continues in most of the cities of Rajasthan including Jaipur. It may be noted that section 144 of CrPC has been imposed across the state after the killing.
According to the senior police officials, the demonstration got over peacefully and a strict vigil was kept at the venue through the drone cameras.
“The protest in Jaipur was initially supposed to take place at Badi Chaupar. But because of its placement in the walled city, we did not give them permission and hence the venue was changed to the statue circle. On Sunday the road from Surajpol to Badi Chaupar to Ramganj was barricaded. The area is sensitive as it has a Muslim population in the majority, a senior police official told Outlook.
The chief minister Ashok Gehlot accompanied by the party's state chief Govind Singh Dotasra, Revenue minister Ramlal Jat, DGP M L Lather and other leaders and officials visited Lal’s family on Thursday.
"The National Investigation Agency (NIA) should take up this case in a fast track court. The charge sheet should be filed as soon as possible so that punishment can be awarded," Gehlot told reporters after meeting Lal's family members in Udaipur.
A Jaipur court on Saturday sent four accused in the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal to ten-day National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody. Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad were arrested on Tuesday from the Udaipur-Rajsamand highway, hours after they allegedly hacked the tailor to death. The two others, Mohsin and Asif, were arrested on Thursday night for being involved in the conspiracy. The court ordered the police to remand till July 12.
About three weeks ago, Kanhaiya Lal, had posted remarks in support of Nupur Sharma, a BJP spokesperson when she made offensive remarks about Prophet Mohammad in a televised debate. He was arrested on June 10 over a post. On June 15, while on bail, he told the police that he was being threatened by his neighbours.
