Beheaded for renaming chowk after PM Modi? Nitish Kumar denies allegation

New Delhi: Even though the family of a 70-year-old man who was beheaded in Bihar's Darbhanga maintains he was murdered for naming a chowk after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, state chief minister Nitish Kumar has claimed that the real reason for the murder was a land dispute.

Ramchandra Yadav was allegedly beheaded on March 15 by more than 40 people who were armed with hockey sticks and swords. His son later alleged that the murder took place because his father - a local BJP leader - had named a chowk to honour PM Modi. Nitish though said that the DGP had informed him of the real reason. "Recently, in Darbhanga there was a murder due to land dispute. Someone started saying that murder happened because they made a chowk after Narendra Modiji. I asked DGP, he said no this murder was due to a land dispute," he said on Tuesday.

 

Recently, in Darbhanga there was a murder due to land dispute.Someone started saying that murder happened because they made a chowk after Narendra Modiji. I asked DGP, he said no this murder was due to a land dispute: CM Nitish Kumar pic.twitter.com/9qKOIUhDur — ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2018

 

Nitish also warned against making the unfortunate incident of a man's murder into a political slugfest and said the religion of the deceased and that of the alleged murderers was not important. "We don't compromise with corruption in the same way we will never compromise with communalism. I cannot stand it. I don't worry about votes. My commitment is towards people whether they belong to any caste or religion."

Nitish's statement comes on the lines of Bihar's deputy CM Sushil Modi's remarks that Ramchandra was murdered because of a land dispute. "Totally false that murder in Darbhanga because of naming Modi Chawk. Case of land dispute. Board was put long back. Murder has nothing to do with Board," he had tweeted last Friday.

The family members of Ramchandra though point the other way and maintain that renaming of the chowk is what angered a section of people who resorted to killing him.

(With ANI inputs)