He also condemned the BJP’s ‘attempt to give a communal colour’ to a land dispute between two families, which led to the death of the priest.
JAIPUR:Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday directed officials to get the killing of a temple priest in Karauli district probed by the CID-CB.
He also condemned the BJP’s “attempt to give a communal colour” to a land dispute between two families, which led to the death of the priest.
“It is condemnable that the BJP gave a communal colour to the tragic incident between the Meena and Vaishnav communities of a land dispute case between two families in Bikna village of Sapotara.
This has undermined the image of Rajasthan unnecessarily,” Gehlot said in a statement.
He said the priest’s death was not the result of a caste conflict, neither a pre-planned incident.
The dispute between the two families over taking the possession of a piece of land resulted in the tragic incident.
On October 6, a day before the incident, the panchayat had agreed in favour of priest Babu Lal Vaishnav, in which a majority of people of the Meena community were present.
Directions have been issued to get the case investigated by the CID-CB.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sharma has been assigned the task, the statement said.
Gehlot said the Congress government has always been striving to give protection to priests and the land that comes under various temples.
A second arrest was made on Sunday in connection with the Karauli incident where a priest died after allegedly being set afire by landgrabbers.
Police arrested Dilkhush alias Dillu in the priest murder case, Hindaun Deputy Superintendent of Police Kishori Lal Mehrania said.
On Saturday, accused Kailash Meena was taken into custody.
He said that both the accused were arrested under IPC Section 302 (murder).
Meanwhile, Controversial BJP leader Kapil Mishra met the family members of the victim at Bukana village and offered them Rs 25 lakh as assistance collected from the public.
Mishra, who has been mired in a controversy over his speeches made in the days before the Northeast Delhi riots in February, consoled the family members of priest Babu Lal Vaishnav and promised them all possible help.
“It is a very painful incident, and I feel that no one should see such kind of suffering,” Mishra told the reporters after meeting the priest’s family. He said Rs 25 lakh would be transferred to the account of the priest’s kin.
“We will not only give financial help to the family but have also given a promise to hold their hand and make them stand on their feet again so that they can move forward,” the former AAP MLA said.
Vaishnav was attacked on Wednesday and died at the SMS Hospital a day later.
It is alleged that five people, who were trying to occupy cultivated land near the temple, set him ablaze after spraying petrol.
The priest was cremated on Saturday after his family relented following an assurance from the administration on their demands.
