Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 7 : Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui on Thursday sparked a political firestorm by suggesting that the death of a personal assistant to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari might be a self-inflicted "strategy" by the saffron party to frame its rivals.
Speaking to ANI in Shahjahanpur, Siddiqui claimed that the BJP has a history of orchestrating such scenarios to shift blame onto their political rivals.
"This must be a BJP strategy, as it's a long-standing practice. They've been caught in numerous places. They blame themselves and then blame others. They're experts in this matter," he said.
Despite the heavy accusations, the SP leader noted that the truth would only surface after a formal inquiry. "Now, this is a matter of investigation; only when the investigation takes place will we know what it is."
The death of Chandra, a personal assistant to West Bengal's Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, has become the latest flashpoint in the bitter rivalry between the BJP and the TMC. While the BJP has pointed fingers at the ruling party in Bengal, the TMC has maintained that the incident is being used for political leverage.
BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari earlier in the day reiterated that the killing was a "premeditated murder", alleging that Rath was targeted due to his association with him and his political defeat of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Bhabanipur.
Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan strongly condemned the killing, blaming the ruling Trinamool Congress and calling the incident "shameful for democracy".
"The TMC and Mamata Banerjee have been rattled by their crushing defeat. In a democracy, there is no place for violence; yet, the TMC has resorted to it. Matters have now reached an extreme point, as the PA of Suvendu Adhikari has been shot dead. The TMC and Mamata Banerjee must understand this now: our objective, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is to build a Bengal that is free from violence, free from fear, and fully developed. In a democracy, such an incident is not merely tragic; it is shameful. The criminals will not get away with this. Bengal will be both safe and developed," he told reporters.
Rath, a former Indian Air Force personnel serving as Adhikari's personal assistant, was shot dead in Madhyamgram on Wednesday.
In the latest development, police have recovered the bike reportedly used by the assailants. The bike has been brought to Madhyamgram police station in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal.