Kamlesh Tiwari's wife threatens self-immolation; FIR names 2 Muslim clerics

Tiwari's family claimed the UP govt had not acted on demands for security for 2 yrs

Kamlesh Tiwari Hindu Samaj office People outside the office of the Hindu Samaj Party in Lucknow; the main signboard bears an image of Kamlesh Tiwari | PTI

Emotions continue to run high after the fatal attack on Kamlesh Tiwari, founder-leader of the hardline Hindu Samaj Party, in Lucknow on Friday.

Tiwari's wife, Kiran, told mediapersons late on Friday that he had received threat calls every day, but the state government had not acted on complaints from them. Kiran was speaking to mediapersons after arriving with the body of Tiwari to his hometown of Muhmadabad.

Kiran demanded justice for Tiwari and declared she would commit self-immolation at Muhmadabad with her children. She demanded security for the family and a meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Kiran was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, "We demand security for the family. CM Yogi should come to meet us; otherwise, we will not cremate the body."

Another relative told ANI that the Yogi Adityanath government had not acted on demands for security for Tiwari and his family for two years. "Some people were threatening to kill Kamlesh. That's why we were demanding security for Kamlesh and family for last two years. But government and administration did not listen to us," the relative claimed.

Meanwhile, media reports claim the Uttar Pradesh Police have filed an FIR against three persons over the murder of Tiwari. Two of the accused have been identified as Mohammed Mufti Naeem Kazmi and Imam Maulana Anwarul Haq, both residents of Bijnor district. Tiwari's wife had named them in her complaint.

She had alleged that Kazmi and Haq had announced a cash reward of Rs 1.5 crore on Tiwari's head and claimed they had conspired to kill him. Media reports on Saturday morning claimed Haq had been arrested, but Avinash Chandra, ADG Bareilly Zone, said he had not been held and "investigation was still under way".

Tiwari had allegedly made derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad in 2015, leading to widespread protests by Muslims. The NSA was slapped against him over the remarks.

On Friday, a little-known group called the Al-Hind Brigade claimed responsibility for killing Tiwari in a WhatsApp message.