BJP man's son in lynch net - Rajghat cry: don't kill human for cow

A protester holds a poster at a candle light demonstration against the Dadri lynching
near Rajghat on Saturday. Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, speaking
at Banaras Hindu University, on Saturday asked what was the harm in eating beef.
 “People worldwide consume beef. Are those people across the world who eat beef
bad and only we (in the country) who don't eat saints and seers?  What’s the harm
it when people eat beef? I too eat and will even continue to eat,” said Katju, who is
a Kashmiri Pandit. Later, several students shouted slogans against Katju and block
-ed his way, a PTI report said. Picture by Prem Singh

TT, Oct. 3: A local BJP member's son was arrested today in connection with the lynching of a 52-year-old in a western Uttar Pradesh village on Monday over rumours that he had stored and eaten beef.

Vishal Rana, son of Sanjay Rana, a resident of Bisara where Akhlaque was killed, is accused of inciting the village mob that dragged the victim and his son Danish out of their home and beat them with sticks, hockey sticks and bricks.

"Vishal was one of the key conspirators. He was among those who instigated the mob," a senior officer of Greater Noida police said.

Akhlaque died on the spot while Danish is lying critical in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Noida, about 15km from Bisara.

Vishal, who is in his 20s, is accused of organising a meeting on Monday night where people were provoked to attack Akhlaque's family. "It was a planned attack," the officer said.

Another villager, Shivam Kumar, 24, was arrested today, taking the number of arrests to nine. All nine have been booked for murder and rioting, with Vishal facing the additional charge of criminal conspiracy.

Sanjay claimed his son's arrest was politically motivated.

"It's a baseless allegation. The police are acting on behalf of Akhilesh Yadav's (Samajwadi Party) government and arresting village youths at random. We'll fight it out legally," he said.

"I've been a BJP member for 10 years. The police are implicating my son to defame me and my party."

Officers said the families of the arrested youth were not cooperating with the police.

Attack on media

Around 500 villagers, including a few women, today surrounded journalists in the village and asked them to leave immediately.

Some of them attacked camera crews with bricks and stones, damaged their vehicles and chased them away, allegedly with the police standing by.

The women demanded immediate release of the arrested men, blaming the media for their arrest. Later, the police asked journalists to enter the village at their own risk.

During his visit to the village yesterday, Union culture minister and local MP Mahesh Sharma had reaffirmed his stand that the killing was an "accident" and accused the media of sensationalising it and lending it a communal colour.

He had assured Akhlaque's family of justice while promising to look into some villagers' allegation that the police were targeting young Hindu men with false charges.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met Akhlaque's family in Bisara this afternoon sometime after the 11.30 am attack on the media. By then, the media had returned.

"It is very sad to see the trust and harmony built over decades destroyed by the politics of hate," Rahul tweeted after his 3 pm visit.

In another tweet, he said: "Was touched by the desire of people of Bisara to maintain harmony. This spirit will help the country go through tough times."

Kejriwal attacked political parties that he accused of "spreading poison between the two communities".

When the Aam Aadmi Party leader arrived around 12.30pm, the police had cited the public mood to request him not to enter the village.

Kejriwal asked why the administration had not stopped Sharma or All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi from visiting the family yesterday.

"What happened in Dadri was against humanity. Who benefited from it? Neither Hindus nor Muslims. Only political parties and politicians are benefiting," Kejriwal said.