‘Son of a great father’: Uma Bharti invokes Bal Thackeray in letter to CM Uddhav on Palghar lynching

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti has expressed anguish over the Palghar lynching incident on behalf of the ‘sant samaj’ to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In a letter to the CM, Bharti, a former Union minister in the Narendra Modi government, said that the saint community of the country is angry over the killing of two seers in Palghar district. Calling him the “son of a great father (Bal Thackeray)”, Bharti urged the Shiv Sena chief to take strict action against those behind the killings.

“You are the son of a great father and you are a man who is known for honouring the saints,” she said in her letter to CM Uddhav.

“The killing of great seers in Palghar is a heinous crime and is a sin from the religion point of view. You are the Chief Minister, you didn’t do this but since it took place in a state which is governed by you, all involved in the crime should be punished,” the BJP leader said in her letter.

Bharti said that the role of police should also be probed and they be booked for murder under Section 302 of the IPC. She said the cops could have opened fire to save the lives of the seers.

“This is my request to you to punish all the police officials involved in the crime else you will be a partner in this crime,” she said, adding that she will be on a day-long fast today at her Bhopal residence on Tuesday.

“I expect you to take steps to punish the perpetrators.” she said.

Bharti said that she will visit the site of the incident after the lockdown is lifted and will seek forgiveness on behalf of the society and the country.

The Uddhav Thackeray government is facing criticism from friend-turned-foe BJP over the killings of three people including two saints in Palghar on April 16. The state government has claimed that five main accused have been arrested and warned against giving a communal colour to the crime.

CM Uddhav on Monday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take action against those giving a communal colour to the lynching incident and informed that the state government has already ordered a high-level inquiry.