New Delhi: An RSS-affiliated NGO has blamed the “violent approach which has been influencing the tribal community” as well as Left-wing and Christian missionary organisations for the lynching of two sadhus in Maharashtra’s Palghar district in April.
NGO Vivek Vichar Manch’s fact-finding team has conducted an inquiry on the death of the two sadhus and their driver, who were lynched by a mob on 14 April allegedly after they were mistaken for being child kidnappers and organ harvesters.
The NGO has said the lynching was “anything but spontaneous”.
“If it were spontaneous, then how did 400-odd people assemble at the spot, what was the logistical support? The police also practically handed over the sadhus to the mob instead of stopping them,” said retired Justice Ambadas Joshi, one of the authors of the report, a copy of which has been accessed by ThePrint.
“The brutal and inhuman mob lynching of sanyasis is the outcome of a violent approach, which has been influencing the tribal community,” the report stated.
Videos from the time of the incident show that some police officers tried to rescue the sadhus from the mob, but the crowd snatched them from the police. A total of 115 people were arrested in connection with the lynching in May.
Earlier this month, the CID filed two charge sheets against 126 people after a four-month investigation.
The NGO’s report was released in June, but in a press conference Saturday, the authors of the report said the investigators are not looking into the role of the Left-wing groups into the lynching.
“In the background of the hostile attitude of Left-wing organisations, there exists a strong possibility that some of the innocent tribals have been arrested, and at the same time, real culprits aligned to Left-wing or other political parties are not yet touched,” the report stated.
Also read: Illegal liquor trade, not communal violence, suspected in lynching of 3 men in Palghar
‘Propaganda leads to the creation of negativity’
The report also blamed the group ‘Adivasi Ekta Parishad’ for spreading “separatist thoughts in the Tribal area”.
“This propaganda leads to the creation of negativity and hatred in the minds of Adivasis towards those professing Adivasis’ Hindu traditions (sic),” the report stated.
The NGO has also accused “christian missionary organisations” for funding the advisasi groups.
“Some Christian missionary organisations are funding the organisations, which are working on Adivasis’ rights,” said advocate Pravartak Pathak, another author of the report.
The report said that there is “direct support to the activities of Adivasi Ekta Parishad by the missionary organisations who are involved in divisive activities by creating factions amongst Adivasis”.
Political ‘influence’
The authors of the report also accused the Maharashtra government of exerting political influence in the case.
“The conclusive statement by the state government before the commencement of investigation is prima facie, direct indication of influencing and interference by the executive, on the investigation…,” the report stated.
Pathak said that because the state’s home minister declared the incident as “non-communal”, it showed political influence in the case.
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said that none of the 101 arrested in the lynching were Muslims, after rumours surfaced that the incident was communal.
The NGO has also demanded an investigation by the CBI and NIA into the case.
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