This is the fourth incident in UP this month, with three BJP leaders shot dead between October 8 and October 13
AGENCIES / LUCKNOW
Former President of the Hindu Mahasabha and currently chief of his own outfit Hindu Samaj, Kamlesh Tiwari was shot dead at his residence in Lucknow today. Eyewitnesses say two men, one of whom was wearing a saffron scarf, met with him on the pretext of gifting Diwali sweets and, once inside his home, allegedly slit his throat and shot him multiple times with a firearm before escaping.
Mr Tiwari died as he was being rushed to hospital. The police have not yet made arrests in the case but have recovered a pistol from the scene of the crime.
In 2015 Kamlesh Tiwari, allegedly made derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad, which created huge controversy and massive protests. He was arrested in connection with the case and charged under the National Security Act (NSA), which the Allahabad High Court recently revoked.
Police say that prima facie this is a case of personal enmity and that the killers were known to the Kamlesh Tiwari. As many as ten teams have been formed to crack this case, according to Lucknow Police Chief Kalanidhi Naithani.
This is the fourth such shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh this month.
On Saturday BJP corporator Dhara Singh, 47, was shot dead by unidentified attackers while on his way to work at a sugar mill in Sahranpur district. Only a few days before that another BJP leader – former student activist Kabir Tiwari – was killed in Basti district. His death provoked student groups into a violent rampage and the burning of government vehicles.