Thackeray dials UP CM, raises concern over killing of priests

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke to his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath over phone on Tuesday and expressed concern over the killing of two priests in Bulandshahr district, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday.

The killing of priests in Uttar Pradesh should not be communalised like the Palghar incident in Maharashtra, Raut said, in an apparent taunt at the BJP.

Talking to PTI, Raut said Thackeray spoke to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and expressed concern over the incident in Bulandshahr.

"Uddhavji said when such incidents happen, we should refrain from indulging in politics and unitedly work to punish the culprits," Raut said.

Earlier, Raut in a tweet termed the killing of the two priests in Bulandshahr as "inhuman and brutal".

"Terrible ! killing of two saints, sadhus at a temple in Bulandshahar,UP, but I appeal to all concerned to not make it communal the way they tried to make Palghar, Maharashtra incidence," he tweeted.

"Maintain peace. The country is fighting corona and YogiAdityanath will punish the culprits," he said in another tweet.

In Palghar, a mob lynched three men - two seers and their driver - on April 16 when they were going from Mumbai in a car towards Surat in Gujarat to attend a funeral.

Their vehicle was stopped near a village in Palghar district where the three were dragged out of the car and beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were child-lifters.