In the wake of the brutality inflicted on two Dashnami Sadhus and their driver by a murderous mob in Maharashtra’s Palghar, the Hindu Dharma Achara Sabha has written to the Maharashtra Governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari on April 24. In the strongly worded letter, the Sabha has condemned the lynching of Sadhus and their associate in Palghar and raised questions on the circumstances, history of the region, mishandling of the case and the state government and police’s attempt to shield the perpetrators.
In the letter, shared by Amit Malviya on Twitter, the Sabha draws Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s attention towards the notorious history of the region where the gruesome crime was consummated, proving beyond doubt, that the people living in that region have a complete negative perception towards Hindus.
Past incidents that happened in Palghar
- The Adivasi’s living in this region had massively opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act.
- Last December, 12 illegal Bangladeshi migrants, while in February 2020, 23 illegal Bangladeshi migrants were arrested from this region.
- The illiterate tribals in this region have been brainwashed and hateful ideologies and anti-Hindu sentiments, or anti-Sanatan Dharma ideologies have been drummed into their ignoramus minds.
- All local Adivasis from Dahanu taluka in Palghar have a fiendish mindset towards the sadhus and saints who have dedicated their lives preaching Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means ‘the whole world is a single-family’.
Palghar lynching part of a bigger conspiracy
Taking into account these past incidents, the sabha said it believes that the brutal lynching was not a normal crime but a part of a deeper conspiracy. It said that the mob attack in Palghar was not an assault on merely two Sadhus but a planned incursion on the Hindu society and culture as a whole.
Seeking accountability from the government
Condemning the incident without mincing words, the letter sought an answer from the Maharashtra government. It said that after the video of the lynching went viral on social media and drew sharp condemnation from Hindu’s, Home Minister Amit Shah intervened and asked the state government to take action. Buckling under pressure, the state government led by CM Uddhav Thackeray did make arrests, but the actual culprits behind the murder have not been arrested by the police. The police laxity in handling the case and the discrepancies between the complaint and the video evidence has been questioned. The Hindu Dharma Achara Sabha asks the Maharashtra governor as to why no action has been taken against the police officials who have shown laxity and created loopholes for the real culprits to escape the clutches of law.
Denouncing the heinous incident, and casting aspersion on CM Uddhav Thackeray and his governments’ laxity and the state police apathy and treachery in handling the lynching case, the Hindu Dharma Achara Sabha urged the governor to take firm action into the case.
Similar assertions made by VHP
In a strongly worded letter dated April 23, addressed to the Maharashtra Governor, VHP expressed anguish over the killing of the venerated sadhus and their associate in Palghat, Maharashtra saying that this attack seems to be part of the deeper conspiracy as many times in the past, there had been incidents of brutal violence inspired by the leftists in this area.
Questioning whether the Uddhav Thackeray government would have maintained the same silence had the victims belonged to the minority section, the VHP too sought accountability from the government and demanded stern action against the culprits.
Palghar Sadhus lynched
The blood-curdling incident happened on 16th April 2020 in Palghar, Maharashtra. Two Sadhus, 70-year-old Kalpavrishka Giri Maharaj and 35-year-old Sushil Giri Maharaj along with their driver 30-year-old Nilesh Telgade associated with the Juna Akhara were on their way from Mumbai to Gujarat to give Samadhi to another Sadhu. At Gadakchinchale village, a wild and frenzied crowd of over more than 100 people attacked them. Videos of the incident showed the local police ignoring the pleas of the bleeding Sadhus and handing them over to the murderous mob.
The state government has handed over the case to CID. Over 100 people, including several juveniles, have been arrested so far.