Targeting CM Ashok Gehlot, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that if the Rajasthan government had set up a special court over the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal, the accused would have been hanged by now. Hitting back, Gehlot called Shah’s comments “irresponsible” and accused him of “lying”. Lal, an Udaipur-based tailor, was murdered on June 28 last year by two assailants for sharing remarks made by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma on the Prophet. The two accused – Mohammad Riyaz Attari and Mohammad Ghouse – were arrested the same day. The NIA filed a chargesheet against 11 persons, including two from Pakistan. Addressing a public meeting in Udaipur, Shah held the Gehlot government responsible for not bringing Lal’s killers to justice and accused the Chief Minister of practising “vote bank politics”. “They ask me what have you done in Kanhaiya Lal (case)? You should be ashamed, tell me who didn’t give protection to Kanhaiya Lal? Whose police remained silent till he died? You didn’t even want to catch (the accused). The NIA caught them and don’t lie Gehlot ji (that) the chargesheet hasn’t been filed,” Shah said. Shah’s statement came days after Gehlot issued a statement appealing to Shah to ensure Lal’s murderers were punished soon. At the Udaipur rally, Shah said it was Gehlot’s “job” to set up the special court to ensure speedy justice in Lal’s case. “.The Rajasthan government is not setting up a special court by taking the HC into confidence. Otherwise by now, the accused would have been hanged,” Shah said.
