Maharashtra Palghar lynching: CPI(M) slams BJP for communal claims

The CPI(M) Maharashtra State Committee condemned the lynching of three persons, including two sadhus, at Gadchinchale village in Palghar district of Maharashtra and denounced the BJP's attempts to give a communal colour to the killings.

The incident took place on April 16 night when three men from Kandivali in neighbouring Mumbai were travelling to Surat in a car. The vehicle was stopped and the trio was beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were thieves.

In an official release on Monday,the CPI(M)'s state committee demanded strict action against the accused and an inquiry into the incident.

The party said it denounced the BJP-RSS's false claims of communal angle in the killings and alleged that the saffron party was indulging in a smear campaign to discredit the state government.

"We also strongly denounce the lies and canards that are being spread on Facebook by RSS-BJP leaders Sambit Patra, Sunil Deodhar and others. They have said that the Dahanu Assembly constituency, where the incident occurred, is a CPI (M) stronghold and alleged that the CPI(M) is behind these killings," the party release alleged.

Gadchinchale village, where these killings took place, was under BJP for the last 10 years and party member Chitra Choudhari was a sarpanch there, the CPI(M) stated, alleging that several accused in the case were in fact BJP men.

The CPI(M) also claimed that the police had gone into overdrive by arresting innocent people from other villages, in a bid to cover up their negligence.