Tension gripped Rajasthan's Udaipur after a youth was murdered in broad daylight over remarks supporting expelled BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
In a horrific incident, two men slit the throat of a tailor in Udaipur on Tuesday, saying in a video post on social media that they are avenging an insult to Islam and triggering communal tension in the Rajasthan city.
At 8 pm, curfew was declared till further orders in seven police station areas in the city as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot appealed for calm. The men who allegedly committed the daylight murder posted videos online admitting to the crime and were taken into custody by police.
In a video clip, one of the purported assailants declared that they had beheaded the man and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying their knife would get him as well. Indirectly, the assailants referred to Nupur Sharma, the BJP leader suspended from the party over a remark on Prophet Muhammad.
Kanhaiya Lal, the tailor, was recently arrested by the local police over some remarks made on social media by him. The assailants entered his shop in the city's Dhan Mandi area posing as customers. As the tailor took the measurements of one of them -- who later identified himself as Riaz - attacked him with a cleaver. The other man shot the brutal murder with his mobile phone.
Also read: 'I am numb, don't have courage to see those videos': Kangana Ranaut on Udaipur murder
The two men fled from the scene and later uploaded the clip on social media. In another video, the alleged assailant said they beheaded the tailor and threatened the prime minister for lighting this fire. As the videos circulated on social media, tension escalated. Here's a look at how Bollywood stars, Indian cricketers and other celebrities reacted to the shocking incident:
I’d say this is a wake up call for all those who help paint followers of in as victims, instead of encouraging them to introspect and address the problem of & extremism within, but you can’t wake up someone pretending to be asleep. https://t.co/cWi3Vek7Zj
— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey)Prophet Muhammad never harmed anyone physically, So nobody should use Islam to do any criminal activity. !
— KRK (@kamaalrkhan)No matter which faith you follow. HURTING AN INNOCENT LIFE IS LIKE HURTING THE WHOLE HUMANITY.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan)Absolute lawlessness scenes in Udaipur where a poor tailor Kanhaiya Lal has been beheaded in the name of religion for a social media post.
What about his FOE? What about his Human rights? What about his family? What about his religion?
What has happened in Udaipur is really heart-wrenching.
I appeal to everyone to maintain peace in these challenging times. Let the law take the strictest action.
Despicable and utterly condemnable.. The perpetrators should be dealt with promptly and strictly, as per law! Heinous crime.. Unjustifiable!
As one often says.. if you want to kill in the name of your God, start with yourself!
Sick sick monsters! https://t.co/bvf5T2sr0l
I will not share the horrific video of murder but demand strictest action against the murderers! They should be legally prosecuted in the strictest ways. What a shame!
— Sayema (@_sayema)Mere condemnation of the brutal killing of in is not enough especially when a whole ecosystem exists provoking this type of acts.. Here our democracy & values are at stake, country as a whole must crush the idea of violence. Om shanti Kanhaiya ji
— Sumit Kadel (@SumitkadeI)Shopkeepers in local markets downed shutters. Shopkeepers stopped police from taking away the body, saying they would allow the removal of the corpse only after the murderers are arrested and compensation -- Rs 50 lakh and a government job -- given to the victim's family.
On Twitter, CM Ashok Gehlot appealed to people to maintain peace and asked them not to share the videos. "The guilty will not be spared. The entire police team is working on it with full alertness. I can imagine the anger which is there among people due to the murder. We are taking action accordingly," he told reporters in Jodhpur.
Udaipur Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar also promised strict action. "A brutal murder has happened. Broadly, it seems to be a planned murder. We are discussing the demands put forth by the family members. Strict action will be taken against the criminals. I appeal to people to maintain peace," he said.
Gehlot said there is communal tension in the country and the prime minister should address the people. He said both Hindus and Muslims are worried. "It is more impactful if the prime minister speaks. I believe that the prime minister should address the country on this occasion and should make an appeal that we will not tolerate violence at any cost. What is the problem in saying so?" he said.
Also read: Udaipur murder: 2 suspects nabbed; probe points to pre-planned conspiracy
BJP state chief Satish Poonia targeted the Congress government in Rajasthan, saying that the murder was the result of its appeasement policy. He said those seen in the video had threatened the victim on June 17.
The victim had asked for security, but the police did not give it, he claimed, adding that this indicated the state government's apathy. "The situation in Rajasthan is such that Hindus are being attacked and murdered at many places. It is because of the politics of appeasement of CM Ashok Gehlot," Poonia told reporters.
Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria also condemned the incident and said he was reaching Udaipur Tuesday night.
(With inputs from PTI)