New Delhi: The furore over the killings in Palghar was a contentious topic on Twitter with politicians from all over India sharing their views—as well as some Bollywood personalities.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray condemned the killing of two sadhus and a driver, in Palghar, and assures swift action against the accused.
पालघर येथे घडलेल्या घटनेवर कारवाई करण्यात आली आहे. ज्या दिवशी गुन्हा घडला, त्याच दिवशी पोलिसांनी २ साधू, १ ड्रायव्हर आणि पोलिस कर्मचार्यांवर हल्ला करणाऱ्या सर्व आरोपींना अटक केली आहे. या गुन्ह्यातील आणि लज्जास्पद कृत्यातील आरोपींना शक्य तितकी कडक शिक्षा करण्यात येईल.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) April 19, 2020
Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot joined in the condemnation.
I strongly condemn the horrific incident where 3 people were lynched and killed by a mob in Palghar, Maharashtra. Strictest action should be taken against all those involved in this heinous crime.
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) April 20, 2020
Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh clarifies that the incident is not a communal one.
पालघर की घटना बहुत दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। मामले में 101 लोगों को गिरफ्तार किया गया है और उच्च स्तरीय जांच जारी है। जब पूरा देश कोरोना से लड़ रहा है, कुछ लोग इस घटना को गलत मोड़ देने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं, जो सही नहीं है।#LawAndOrderAboveAll#WarAgainstVirus pic.twitter.com/PVqywq0XR0
— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) April 20, 2020
Despite Deshmukh’s clarification, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit reads much into the ‘name’ of the perpetrator. Fellow film director Anurag Kashyap reacts sharply.
@MumbaiPolice @anildeshmukh @priyankac19 pls note. Spreading rumours and giving communal angle to the Palghar incident . https://t.co/LmzaEz3wuv
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) April 20, 2020
Failing a communal angle, BJP National Secretary Sunil Deodhar has discovered a ‘communist’ link to the incident.
No adivasi in India can attack a saffron clad person unless brainwashed over years.
The #palgharlynching area is a communists’ bastion, even the Local (Dahanu) MLA belongs to @cpimspeak.
Horrific #moblynching of 2 pious seers by Marxist goons in anarchy rule of @OfficeofUT pic.twitter.com/LMJ0SXCKuP
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) April 20, 2020
Actor Urmila Matondkar appeals for communal harmony and urges people to not play divisive politics.
#PalgharMobLynching is highly condemnable n inhuman. All d accused have already been arrested n will be brought to justice in strongest manner. But there’s certainly no need to communalise it. Humanity is at peril not any particular religion in such times. #Palghar
— Urmila Matondkar (@UrmilaMatondkar) April 20, 2020
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia call for swift action against the murderers.
पालघर,महाराष्ट्र में हुई जूना अखाड़ा के सन्तों स्वामी कल्पवृक्ष गिरि जी, स्वामी सुशील गिरि जी व उनके ड्राइवर नीलेश तेलगड़े जी की हत्या के सम्बन्ध में कल शाम महाराष्ट्र के मुख्यमंत्री श्री उद्धव ठाकरे जी से बात की और घटना के जिम्मेदार तत्वों के खिलाफ कठोर कार्रवाई हेतु आग्रह किया।
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) April 20, 2020
पालघर, महाराष्ट्र में जूना अखाड़ा के संतों की निर्मम हत्या से मैं स्तब्ध और अत्यंत दुखी हूं। घटना के दोषी आरोपियों पर तत्काल कार्यवाही कर उन्हें कड़ी सजा दिलवाई जानी चाहिए।
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) April 20, 2020
BJP MP from Ladakh Jamyang Namgyal is shocked and wonders what the late Bal Thackrey’s reaction would have been.
पालघर की घटना चौंकाने वाली, अमानवीय और शर्मनाक है!
सबसे सम्मानित बालासाहेब ठाकरे जी, आप कहीं से देख रहे हैं?
— Jamyang Tsering Namgyal (@JTNBJP) April 20, 2020
Onto to other news, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav offered their condolences to Yogi Adityanath on the death of his father.
उत्तर प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ जी के पिता श्री आनंद सिंह बिष्ट जी के निधन पर मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं।
ईश्वर इस दुख की घड़ी में परिजनों को कष्ट सहने का साहस दे।
भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) April 20, 2020
मुख्यमंत्री योगी आदित्यनाथ जी के पिता के देहावसान पर भावभीनी श्रद्धांजलि!
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 20, 2020
See what historian Ramchandra Guha thinks about the plans for a museum of democracy
The Central Vista project intends to make the existing Parliament Building a “Museum for Democracy”.
This is grimly appropriate, since Museums are for things that are dead or extinct.
Thus South Africa has an Apartheid Museum.
And India will one day have a Museum for Democracy.
— Ramachandra Guha (@Ram_Guha) April 20, 2020
Bollywood actor Rahul Bose, cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar along with several other influential personalities joined hands to speak against domestic violence cases amid the nationwide lockdown.
The campaign is in Marathi, Hindi, & English. My privilege to be a part of it. The onus is now to address the pain of those affected. Thank you @DGPMaharashtra & all the social workers behind the scenes. ?? @aksharacentre for making this! Thank you @CMOMaharashtra @AUThackeray ! https://t.co/KhjbVV4Tvi
— Rahul Bose (@RahulBose1) April 19, 2020
Former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti wonders about the validity of press freedom in the Valley after the arrest of a media person.
Intimidating & harassing journalists in J&K to stifle reportage has become the norm. Masarat Zahra, a photojournalist was booked under draconian UAPA for allegedly ‘uploading anti national posts’. In J&K using VPNs or social media is now seen as a threat to public order.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) April 20, 2020
Looks like actor Shah Rukh Khan is enjoying his ‘doing nothing phase’ in lockdown!
Thank you all for #AskSrk Need to get back to doing nothing. Please stay at home. Physical distancing. Hygiene. And respect all who r doing amazing work on ground. Just Love a lot more and do nothing…because ‘Jo kuch nahi karte woh kamaal karte hain..’
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 20, 2020
Democratic US senator Bernie Sanders still sounds like he is campaigning in the presidential primaries.
We can't continue along the path of greed and unfettered capitalism, in which three people own more wealth than the bottom half of Americans and tens of millions struggle to afford food, housing, and education.
We must go forward in a very new direction.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 20, 2020
Hindu rapping / killing a fellow Hindu OR Hindu rapping / killing a non-Hindu is not matter of concern for these morons, they will only look at did Non- Hindu perpetrate this so that they can encash and get mileage out of it. We all know Pak is not a big challenge to India but China is, but Sanghis keep talking about Pak as they will get mileage out of it and none by talking about china.
The incidence is sad and condemnable. However, the victims themselves were partly responsible for it. The entire area was under lockdown. The Mahant’s guru expired in Surat, Gujarat. Hence he wanted to cross state borders during night time without police pass. He was not allowed. Therefore, they left of the highway and entered the deep interior tribal area about 100 KMs away from the district town of Palghar, in order to somehow sneak into Gujarat. This proved to be a costly blunder. The tribals were suspicious of these unknown intruders and the incidence occurred. The police strength in this faraway place was too meagre to prevent this sad incidence. Now more than a hundred tribals including some children have been arrested. All this could have been averted had the said Mahant not decided to flout the lockdown norms and made a desperate attempt some somehow cross the state borders without any permit.
More condemnable is an attempt to politicize the issue. Why should Yogi Adityanath, U.P. Chief Minister seek explanation from his counterpart in Maharashtra? What is his authority? State BJP leaders are unnecessarily raising a hue and cry with an ulterior motive to find a pretext to topple the non-BJP government in Maharashtra.
@Promod Patil
The two sadhus belonged to a UP sect.
Reason for Yogi to get involved.
Shiv Sainiks have betrayed Balasaheb Thakare ! This is just repeat of Jaichand and Suryaji Pisal !