INLD workers block road, seek arrest of Nafe Singh Rathi’s killers

Bahadurgarh, February 26

INLD workers and supporters of state chief Nafe Singh Rathi, who was gunned down by unidentified assailants yesterday, blocked the road outside the Civil Hospital at Bahadurgarh for over five hours, demanding the arrest of the killers.

INLD senior leader and MLA Abhay Singh Chautala and former MLAs Rampal Majra and Shyam Singh Rana also joined the dharna and lambasted the police and the government for the murder incident, which also claimed the life of Rathi’s associate, Jai Kishan of Mandothi village, and left two others injured.

Talking to the media, Abhay alleged that it was a political murder and was executed through professional criminals as no one could have fired so many shots in such a short time. He also accused the government of intensifying security of those who had been named in the FIR.

“We have full faith in the police but cannot rely upon the government, which did not provide security to Rathi despite repeated requests. The government is weakening the police. The CM should resign if he cannot ensure the safety of prominent leaders as well as common men. It is surprising that those named in the FIR are not being questioned, instead their security has been raised,” he added.

Decrying Home Minister Anil Vij, the INLD leader said on the one hand, Vij described Rathi as a good friend, while on the other, he had raised the security of the accused, many of them belonging to the BJP. They had also played a role in getting a false case registered against Rathi in UP recently, hence it was necessary to nab them as they might be conspirators in this case as well, he added.

The INLD leader said he had demanded a CBI probe into the case when the Chief Minister had called him up last night. “The government has accepted our demand out of compulsion,” he claimed.

Earlier, a large number of workers gathered at the Civil Hospital where the body had been brought for a postmortem examination last night.