‘Pehlu committed suicide, staged lynching to make a dramatic exit’
:From disbelief and anger to wit laced with sarcasm and caustic comments against the ruling party in Rajasthan and at the Centre, that’s how the social media reacted to Rajasthan police’s move to give a clean chit to all the six accused named in the Pehlu Khan lynching case.
Hindustan Times was the first to report how the state police have decided to close investigations against six people, three of them linked to Hindu right wing organisation, named by the 55-year-old dairy farmer before his death.
Khan was waylaid by a mob in Alwar on April 1 and beaten up mercilessly.
He later died in hospital. During the day, ‘Pehlu Khan’ was the fourth most trending topic on Twitter. Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, who was one of the first to react, wrote, “No one killed Pehlu Khan? How brazen can we get?”
Responding to Sardesai’s tweet, a Twitter user, with the handle @TheAgeOfBananas, wrote, “Not brazen enough. Wait till history books will say Pehlu Khan committed suicide in penance of beef consumption.”
The BJP government in the state has revised the history books including showing Maharana Pratap as winner of Haldighati battle. Critics have termed it as saffronisation of education.
Columnist Tavleen Singh slammed the chargesheet filed by the police. “Horrifying that Pehlu Khan’s killers might get away with his murder. Where the rule of law fails there comes the law of the jungle,” she tweeted.
The political fraternity, too, was quick to react. Former JammuandKashmirchiefminister Omar Abdullah, wrote, “How foolish to expect anyone would be found guilty of murder! #PehluKhan committed suicide & staged the lynching to make a dramatic exit.”
Taking a jibe at the state government and police, Asaduddin Owaisi, Hyderabad MP, wrote, “Pehlu khan was killed by Aliens frm Mars wearing helmets,not by Gau rakshak so BJP govt gives clean chit all Accused.what Modi said a JUMLA [mere statement].”
Congress leader from Maharashtra, Shehzad Poonawalla, took the discourse further. “We will take up Pehlu Khan case before SC which is hearing our Gau Raksha PIL on 22nd September and seek justice too.” Referring to the Manav Suraksha Kanoon (MaSuKa) which is being demanded by certain groups, he added, “In Pehlu Khan case MaSuKa law would put onus on cops to ensure a proper c/s (chargesheet) is filed.”
Strong reactions also emerged on Facebook. In his scathing post, Sitaram Yechury, CPIM leader, said, “No one killed Pehlu Khan, despite his dying statement and other proof available. Dear BJPRSS, a cover-up amounts to complicity in lynching.”