Shooting triggers caste row

8220;The Congressmen in Shahpur are being continuously threatened by BJP workers ever since the BJP government had taken over in the state. In fact, the police and administration are sheltering all the BJP men, who tired to attack Congressmen in Shahpur in the past four months for political reasons,8221; Balloria alleged. He clarified that he had no business clash with the accused as was stated by the police.

The BJP circles, on the other hand, call the incident, a 8220;culmination of the terror created by the victim and his group in the past few years in Shahpur constituency just to keep a hold on the ordinary people.8221; The BJP clarified that the fight was on an individual level and had nothing to do with the party. 8220;The accused has nothing to do with the BJP and the Congress is just giving it a political shade for the party8217;s survival in Shahpur constituency where it had lost badly in the last assembly elections,8221; comments a former district president of Indian National Trade Union Congress Sudershan Soni, who had switched over to BJP.

The people of Shahpur, more specifically Nerti panchayat, are aware of the cases pending against the victim in police files,but categorically condemn the incident. 8220;This has created a scare in the minds of the people, who have nothing to do with politics,8221; they say, demanding strict action in the case.

The police role in the entire incident too has come under a cloud following contradictory statements of the concerned thana, the DSP in charge and the district authorities about the arrest of the accused. Even after two days of reporting the crime, the police was not clear 8220;whether the culprit is at large or has been nabbed8221;. What has upset the Congress circles even more is the fact that the concerned police have carried out a propaganda against the victim more making efforts to get the real evidences ever since the incident took place.