Congress condemns Palghar lynching, says BJP and its echo system trying to politicise it with communal overtones

New Delhi [India], April 20 (ANI): Congress on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of 'attempting to politicize and communalize' the Palghar lynching incident and condemned the incident, demanding strict action against the perpetrators.
"The incident of mob lynching in Village Gadchinchli on the border of Dadar Nagar Haveli (110 Kms away from Palghar) on the night of April 16 is extremely unfortunate and the Congress Party unequivocally condemns it. There is no place for violence in our civilized society and the strictest possible action must be taken against the accused," a statement issued by Randeep Singh Surjewala, Incharge, Communications of the Congress party read.
The statement added that the coalition Maharashtra government has lodged an FIR, arrested 110 people and a CID Crime Investigation by DGP, Atul Kulkarni, has also been ordered.
"All the arrested persons are local Aadivasis from Vikramgarh Taluka in District Palghar," it read.
"There is no communal or Hindu-Muslim angle to the attack as is being sought to be projected by those, who see an opportunity in every such incident to inflame communal passion. We urge all such persons and groups including political parties and a section of media to desist from doing so. Tragically, BJP and its echo system as also a section of media are attempting to project the incident with communal overtones. These attempts to politicise are deeply shameful and must be rejected with the contempt they deserve," it added.
The statement added that the party has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to ensure an "expeditious trial and punishment of the guilty."
Earlier two police personnel of Kasa Police Station were suspended in connection with the Palghar incident on Sunday wherein three persons were killed after being beaten up by villagers, said Palghar Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh.
"Two police personnel of Kasa Police Station have been suspended in connection with the Palghar incident," Singh said on Monday.
Three people -- Swami Kalpvruksha Giri, Swami Sushil Giri and their driver Nilesh Telgade, who were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Gujarat, were beaten to death, allegedly by villagers in Gadchinchle of Palghar, as they suspected them of being thieves.
They were brought to the hospital in the wee hours of April 17 and were declared dead.
A video related to the incident is viral on social media, in which it can be seen that villagers damaged the car of the deceased using sticks, stones and other objects. Police reached the spot immediately but still, villagers continued to attack the three men, said K Shinde, District Magistrate, Palghar on Sunday. (ANI)