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Punjab Hindutva right-wing leader shot dead in Amristar

Punjab Hindutva right-wing leader shot dead in Amristar

Sudhir Suri, a Hindutva right-wing leader, was shot dead in a busy street in Punjab’s Amritsar yesterday.

The incident occurred outside Gopal Mandir on Majitha Road — one of the busiest places in the city — when Suri and some other members of Shiv Sena (Taksali) were holding a protest.

The dharna was against the temple authorities after some broken idols were allegedly found in the trash outside the temple premises, as per India Today.

The police said over five gunshots were fired, allegedly by a local shopkeeper at Suri following which he fell to the ground, NDTV reported. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead by the doctors.

As per BBC, despite the police protection accorded to Suri, the attackers were able to land at least two shots that proved fatal for the controversial leader.

The accused, identified as Sandeep Singh, has been arrested and the weapon has been seized, the Punjab police said.

Sudhir Suri was the president of Shiv Sena (Taksali) who was arrested several times and even imprisoned for some time.

The self-styled leader in Punjab had at least six cases – mostly for harming religious sentiments and making casteist remarks – lodged against him despite which he enjoyed state-provided security cover.

He was known for his allegedly communal video messages on social media attacking some Sikh outfits and particularly Khalistan supporters, as per NDTV.

Suri was arrested in November 2017 for “hurting public sentiments and attempting to promote enmity between Hindus and Sikhs”.

“They had hurt religious sentiments. Such act by anyone cannot be tolerated in the interest of Punjab,” Amrik Singh Powar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

As per the complainant, Suri had also targeted well-known Sikh personalities and was trying to disturb peace in Punjab, The Tribune reported.

Indian Express reported in 2020 that 15 Punjab Police personnel were deployed for Suri’s security.

“He has been given eight gunmen, five constables, and two drivers. He has been given only one police pilot Gypsy. The security cover, however, is not enough. We have filed a writ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking central government security cover for Suri,” the Sena leader’s spokesperson Ranjit Singh had told the newspaper then.

NDTV reports that Punjab has many Hindutva outfits that use the name ‘Shiv Sena’, however, they officially do not have any connection with the Maharashtra-based party founded by Bal Thackeray.

Suri had gone live on Facebook barely an hour before he was gunned down, where he showed some older idols “shamelessly dumped in the garbage”.

“We will not tolerate such sacrilege, even if by fellow Hindus,” he said in the video, as per NDTV.

He had engaged in a verbal spat with some men from the management of Gopal Mandir over the alleged desecration of Hindu idols.

According to the police, Suri was on the hit list of several gangsters and had been provided with a security detail of around eight Punjab Police personnel, Times of India reported.

Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state, saying: “The law and order situation has completely broken down in the state.”

Reacting to the killing, Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh ‘Raja’ Warring tweeted: “Law and order are deteriorating and going from bad to worse. Congress condemns murderous attack on Shiv Sena leader in Amritsar. Political differences apart, violence is unacceptable. Culprits must be brought to book.”

BJP leader and former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh instructed people to maintain peace. “Strongly criticize the brutal murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace & harmony & fight the enemies of Punjab together. While it reflects poorly on the law and order situation in Punjab, I hope culprits are given exemplary punishment,” he tweeted.

Suri’s murder comes in the wake of another high-profile killing – singer Sidhu Moose Wala– in the state.

Punjabi rapper Moose Wala was shot dead on 29 May after his car was attacked by unknown gunmen. His death sparked outrage and fans across the world grieved his demise.

Bhagwant Mann’s AAP government had come under fire as his security was reduced from four personnel to two just days before his murder. However, Punjab Police said the singer was not accompanied by even those two commandos when he was killed to what they said was a result of “gang rivalry”.

Punjab Hindutva right-wing leader shot dead in Amristar

In June 2017, Christian pastor Sultan Masih was killed in the gunfire, and in October of the same year, 60-year-old Ludhiana RSS leader Ravinder Gosain was shot dead.

A leader of an outfit called Sri Hindu Takht was killed by two motorcycle-borne men near Jagraon Bridge in Ludhiana in January 2017.

The other killings include Dera Sacha Sauda followers in Ludhiana and RSS leader Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (Retd) in Jalandhar.

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