In recent weeks, the BJP in Madhya Pradesh had alleged that its members were being targeted after the change of government in the state in December, citing the murders of two BJP leaders and an RSS activist.
However, it now turns out that two of the three high-profile murders had been committed by BJP members itself, while the RSS activist faked his one death!
Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had visited the houses of the three victims and alleged that they were murdered as a result of political rivalry between the Congress and his party.
“After a week of the criminal acts, it has turned out that the killers were none other than the BJP leaders themselves, who wanted to settle scores due to financial dealings or political games,” said Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bala Bachchan.
Speaking to media, The SP of Badwani said that mandal president of Balwadi village, Manoj Thakre, who was a BJP member, was killed by Tarachand Rathore, a rival in the saffron party. Rathore, a BJP state executive member, gave Rs 5 lakh to a gang of contract killers to eliminate Thakre whose political stature was growing and was perceived to be becoming a threat to him.
SP Yangchen D. Bhutia said on January 20 when Thakre was on a morning walk, a group of contract killers attacked him. Out of the 10 accused, seven have been arrested.
Similarly, while investigating the alleged murder of an RSS activist, police discovered the purported 'victim' had killed a former employee who resembled him in order to claim insurance payment of Rs 20 lakh. The BJP had highlighted the “murder” of RSS activist Himmat Patidar, claiming the incident showed RSS workers were being killed on a scale similar to incidents in Kerala. However, DNA tests of the body, whose head had been crushed by a stone, revealed Patidar was not the victim. The body was found on January 23.
The victim was found to be Madan, a former employee of Patidar's farm, who was made to wear similar clothes and given a haircut to appear like his former employer, before he was killed.
On January 17, Prahlad Badhwar, president of Mandsaur municipal corporation, was killed by a fellow BJP member.
Initially, the BJP alleged that Badhwar was killed due to political rivalry. However, it turned out to be a case of financial dealing where a supporter of the BJP leader killed him.
The revelations have embarrassed the BJP, which had initially tried to give a political colour to the killings, saying that Congress government was allowing its workers to be killed and an atmosphere of political violence was gripping the state.
Following the revelations, Congress spokesperson Narendra Saluja took a jibe at the BJP and asked Chouhan whether he would still go to the house of the employee who had been killed by the RSS activist.
