Rinku Sharma, an activist of BJP’s Yuva Morcha and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), was stabbed last week, by his neighbours reportedly after an altercation at a party in Delhi’s Mangolpuri area. His family has alleged that there is communal angle in this murder. The five accused who have been arrested are identified as Muslim, and even though the Delhi Police has officially said that the 25-year-old man was stabbed to death allegedly after a heated argument and scuffle at a birthday party, information being shared in some sections of the media, and on various social media platforms shows that there are constant attempts being made to make this murder appear like a communal hate crime. Additional Public Relations Officer (Delhi Police) Anil Mittal on Saturday said the case has been transferred to the crime branch.
Mainstream news outlets reported that Rinku Sharma, succumbed to injuries during treatment on Wednesday. Some social media handles were quick to share graphic images of his blood soaked body, some others started spreading ‘information’ that Sharma was killed because he was a Hindu, a BJP and VHP volunteer. Local right wing politicians have already begun to fan the communal flames.
AAP ने भी मान लिया कि जय श्री राम बोलने पर हत्या हो रही है
भारत में “जय श्री राम” का नारा लगेगा , ये भी मान लिया
अब रिंकु के परिवार में एक सरकारी नौकरी, CM के द्वारा संवेदना के दो शब्द भी कहलवा दीजिये
केजरीवाल की आपराधिक चुप्पी तुड़वाईये
और हां ये ट्वीट डिलीट मत करना https://t.co/zZ7B7wWFk5
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) February 14, 2021
A case of murder has been registered by Police and five people have been arrested, they were identified as Nasruddin, Islam, Zahid, Mehtab and Tasuddin. The accused, being Muslim, has added fuel to communal poltics and also resulted in tension in Mongolpuri, home to both the victim, and the accused. The Aam Aadmi Party sought answers from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who the Delhi Police reports too. However, ironically, the AAP has also been asking if the young man was killed for chanting ‘jai shri Ram?
रिंकू शर्मा के ‘जय श्री राम’ का नारा लगाने पर उनकी हत्या हुई। अगर भारत मे जय श्री राम का नारा बुलंद नहीं होगा तो क्या पाकिस्तान में होगा?
आज भाजपा के राज में हिन्दू-मुस्लिम-सिख कोई सुरक्षित नहीं है – @raghav_chadha pic.twitter.com/1V1aph9myT
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 14, 2021
Delhi’s deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodiya, who was campaigning in Gujarat said: “It is unfortunate that someone got killed for chanting jai shri Ram in Delhi,” and that “Bharatiya Janata Party is doing nothing about it. Who is responsible for that? They [BJP] are just busy fighting elections. Amit Shah leads Delhi Police If law and order was with us (Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi government) then we would show how law and order is done…” He intends to make a political point but his answer to a question posed by Gujarat Tak’s reporter, sounds more like a communal accusation, that the young man was killed for his religious chants and affiliations. The reporter is clearly heard asking the pointed question.
Manish Sisodia in Gujarat
” Jai Shree Ram ka naara hindustan me nahi lagega to kya pakistan me lagega.”@msisodia
????? pic.twitter.com/fxM3k5bq71
— Rohit Saini (@Rohit245_) February 14, 2021
Other AAP politicians have also appeared on news channels stating that if “jai shree Ram” chants cannot be uttered in India, where else could they be. In effect, hinting that there was a communal element in the crime because the victim was a Hindu, and the men accused of his muder are Muslims.
जिसके भाई को रिंकू ने दिया खून…उसने ही किया खून? रिंकू के घर से LIVE रिपोर्ट..फुल इन्वेस्टिगेशन @KapilMishra_IND #RinkuSharma pic.twitter.com/sKSJxVPQj5
— India TV (@indiatvnews) February 12, 2021
However, as India today reported, Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police (JCP) OP Mishra appealed to people to avoid rumours-mongering, “I appeal to all of you to not give rise to rumours on this issue. This issue is very sensitive,” he said. However Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday slammed the Centre over the murder, saying that Home Minister Amit Shah was responsible. “Hindus are not safe under Bharatiya Janata Party’s government.” said AAP spokesman Saurabh Bhardwaj who also demanded Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation.
Meanwhile, the Police have maintained that on February 10, Wednesday night, both the victim and the accused men were at a birthday party, and an argument broke out between them over their food joints in Rohini. Later, the four men allegedly went to Sharma’s house and stabbed him. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), claimed Sharma was killed for collecting funds during its Ram Mandir donation drive. According to news reports the police have said that: “So far, during the investigation, it has surfaced that the quarrel started during a birthday party over shutting down of a restaurant. All persons are known to each other and live in the same locality. Any other motive alluded to this incident is factually wrong.”
On 10.2.21 eve,a scuffle ensued during a birthday party in the area of Mangolpuri,following which Victim Rinku Sharma got injured in stabbing, who later succumbed to injury during treatment.A case under relevant sections was registered & all 04 accused were arrested@DelhiPolice
— @DCPOUTERDELHI (@dcpouter) February 12, 2021
However, multiple news portals and channels have given space to those who have claimed this is a communal killing. Most active on such ‘news’ shows has been BJP’s Kapil Mishra, who is now collecting funds for theSharma family, while accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of inaction. The act, which is being lauded, however has also been reported as a reaction, necessitated because the Hindu victim’s family was not being helped by the Delhi government, as reported by News18 Hindi.
Rinku Murder Case: रिंकू शर्मा के परिवार के लिए कपिल मिश्रा ने 24 घंटे में ही जुटा लिए 50 लाख रुपये https://t.co/wnSQei02K6
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) February 13, 2021
According to a India Today report, Rinku’s brother Manu Sharma denied any argument, and repeated that there was an older argument regarding the Ram temple fund donation drive:”My brother had gone to a birthday party. He was chased back on his return, dragged outside the house and stabbed. We don’t have any food shop. They even fought with us after we went for a donation drive for Ram Mandir on August 5.” And the ‘Ram Bhakht Killed’ statement was duly flashed by Aaj Tak.
हिन्दू सम्राट के प्रधानमंत्री रहते, अगर राम भक्त मारा जाता है तो लालत है येसे रंगे बिल्ले सरकार पे,, जिसको न्याय देना है वही हिन्दू मुस्लिम कर रहा है फिर न्याय कौन करेगा,, pic.twitter.com/9Qvide2Amd
— संदीप यदुवंशी ?? (@biharnumber1) February 13, 2021
India Today also reported that the VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain, claimed Rinku was killed as he was collecting donations for Ram Mandir. The worst discussions have however been brewing on social media all week. With people opining that Rinku Sharma was killed because he was a VHP-BJP worker and was “chanting Ram’s name”.
राम के देश में राम का नाम लेने वाले और राम काम में लगने वाले की हत्या… मन दुखी है…दिल्ली में हुई रिंकू नामक युवक की हत्या घोर निंदनीय है। दोषियों को शीघ्र सज़ा मिलनी चाहिये..
— Arun Govil (@arungovil12) February 12, 2021
The most active have been right wing blogs Opindia and Kreately. Opindia has publsihed over 20 ‘reports’ on the Rinku Sharma murder case. Many of which also hint at a communal angle, which has so far been denied by the Delhi Police. The blog also has gone hammer and tongs after social media user Tanzila Anis who allegedly made derogatory remarks about the victim. Anis was sacked by her employer Gaana (musical app/ streaming service portal owned by the Times Group) after she was accused of making the offensive remarks. Anis later issued an apology on Sunday.
Her name was trending for days, and social media users kept tagging her employers, and the ‘news’ was then amplified by Opindia and others. Opindia also reported that the VHP had put the accused on its ‘blacklist’ and will be “brought to justice” if the police “fail to do so.” The blog also posted a video fanning anti-Muslim sentiments alleging it was a “mob” that attacked and killed SHarma “these people cannot be tursted, they need to be fixed… you are rearing snakes,” were some comments.
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