Mishra (centre) on his way to meet the family of Rinku Sharma on Tuesday. (Photo: Abhinav Saha) Visiting the family of 25-year-old Rinku Sharma, who was stabbed to death in Mangolpuri last week, Delhi BJP leader Kapil Mishra called the murder “jihad” and an organised conspiracy to target those collecting funds for the Ram Mandir.
Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur also visited the family later in the day and assured them that the government is with them.
While police have so far maintained the murder was the fallout of an old business rivalry, the Vishva Hindu Parishad and Delhi BJP leaders claim Sharma was killed for being part of the temple donation drive.
“This is Jihad… he was targeted, picked and killed as he worked with enthusiasm for religion. They entered his house and killed him and were not satisfied with it, so they again went to the hospital to beat him. This is not just any other crime; this needs to be understood how a terror incident is understood,” Mishra claimed.
Mishra’s claim of the accused targeting Sharma at the hospital has not been corroborated by the police.
“Those who have murdered him must be hanged but also the masterminds behind the incident should be found — those who brainwashed that if people come to demand (Ram Temple) donations, they should be killed,” he claimed, adding that he has started the process of transferring Rs 1 crore to the family’s account.
Mishra and vice-president of the Delhi BJP youth wing, Vaishali Poddar, have started a crowd-funding exercise to collect the amount.
With the families of the accused saying they fear retribution, police have increased deployment in the area, where the VHP had been holding protests. The families, though, have left saying they fear for their safety.
The victim’s younger brother, 19-year-old Mannu, who is with the VHP’s youth wing, said at the meeting with Mishra: “The Hindu family is united.”
As Mishra left the house and headed to his car, a man arrived with a sword in his hand, but was stopped by police and his sword was taken away.
The man claimed he was one Dinesh Thakur, founder and president of ‘Bharat Mata Wahini’.
“I had a sword to save our dharma, just like Maa Bhagwati kept. If the victim would have kept a sword, he would not have been killed. I demand that Hindus be allowed to keep swords,” he said.
He later went away driving a gypsy. Additional DCP (Outer) Sudhanshu Dhama said, “Our team removed the man from the locality. We are looking into the matter and will take legal action.”