BJP doesn't have intention to provide justice: Ashok Gehlot highlights delay in Kanhaiya Lal murder case probe

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], June 4 : Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for politicising the murder of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal and said that the ruling party in the centre doesn't have intentions of providing justice. He also expressed reservations over the delay in the investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
"It (BJP) does not seem that they have any intention of providing justice to the victims," Gehlot posted on X, adding, "BJP did a lot of politics on the murder of Kanhaiyalal of Udaipur and made it the main issue of Rajasthan elections."
He criticised the NIA for its handling of the case while stating that had the Kanhaiya Lal murder case remained with the Rajasthan police, the accused would have been granted sentences.
"If NIA had not taken this case and the case remained with Rajasthan Police, they (accused) would have been sentenced during our government's tenure itself, but it seems that BJP is only doing politics on this case," Gehlot said, adding, "This month, three years will be completed since the murder of Kanhaiya Lal. Rajasthan police arrested the criminals in just four hours."
Highlighting the delay, the Congress leader said that the accused had not been punished in a case even three years after its occurrence.
"The NIA took over the case on the very night of the incident. The NIA, an agency under the BJP government at the centre, has this case, but even after three years of trial, the accused have not been punished in a case of such clear nature," Gehlot said.
He added that Lal's family members have said that the case was not being heard fast track and remains pending in Jaipur's NIA court.
"The family members of Kanhaiya Lal have said that this case is not being run on the fast track. This case is pending in the NIA court, Jaipur. The additional charge of the NIA court was with the judge of the CBI court, who has been transferred, due to which the case is not being heard. There has been no date in the case for the last six months," Gehlot said.
The former CM further attacked the BJP for engaging in politics earlier over the compensation amount provided to Lal's next of kin and said that the ruling party had spread rumours that the then Congress government had only given Rs 5 lakh instead of Rs 50 lakh, which was announced.
"Kanhaiya Lal's family was given Rs 50 lakh as compensation, and his two sons were given government jobs. However, BJP spread a rumour among the public that only Rs 5 lakh was given as compensation and played politics of five lakhs and fifty lakhs," Gehlot added.
He revealed that the statements of three main witnesses in the murder case have not been recorded.
"Before this, the statements of witnesses were being recorded, but the statements of the three main witnesses have not been recorded yet. Of the accused arrested in this case, two have been granted bail so far," Gehlot said.
Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, was beheaded inside his shop in Udaipur by two assailants in broad daylight on June 28, 2022, for allegedly posting content in support of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
The beheading of the Udaipur tailor sent shockwaves across the country and sparked a public outcry.
The case was initially registered at Dhanmandi police station in Udaipur but was later re-registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on June 29, 2022.