Targetting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the death of Mahant Narendra Giri, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday demanded President's rule in Uttar Pradesh, reported India Today. Giri, the chief of Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, was found dead at the Baghambari Math in Prayagraj on Monday.
"Mahant Narendra Giri did not commit suicide, it's a murder. It has been presented as a suicide. Maximum number of saints and seers are killed in UP. The saints who speak against BJP die like this. We demand President's rule in Uttar Pradesh," said Patole.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha Sanjay Raut said "Hindutva has been strangulated" in Uttar Pradesh and sought a CBI probe into the "mysterious death" of the top seer.
Talking to reporters, Raut said the reason cited for the seer's death is suicide, but his followers feel that he was murdered.
"Someone has strangulated Hindutva in Uttar Pradesh. There should be a CBI inquiry (into the seer's death) the way we (Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra) did in Palghar," Raut said.
SP demands judicial probe into death
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a judicial probe by a sitting high court judge into the death of seer Mahant Narendra Giri.
"We demand a judicial probe by sitting a high court judge into the matter," Yadav told reporters.
Disciple Anand Giri booked for abetment of suicide
Uttar Pradesh Police has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against Anand Giri, the disciple of Mahant Narendra Giri.
Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar told ANI that FIR against Anand Giri has been filed under IPC Section 306 (Abetment of suicide) in connection with Mahant Giri's death.
"The FIR has been registered on the basis of the complaint filed by another disciple Amar Giri Pawan Maharaj," the ADG said.
Kumar also informed that the accused Anand Giri was taken into police custody on Monday after his name surfaced, along with two other names, in a suicide note found in the revered saint's death case.
Meanwhile, Anand Giri earlier said, "It is a big conspiracy by people who used to extort money from Guruji and wrote my name in the letter. It needs to be investigated as Guruji has not written a letter in his life and could not do suicide. His handwriting needs to be probed."
Anand Giri, further appealed, "I have spent my entire life over there and never took any money. Everything was good between me and Guruji. Hence I request the government to investigate the matter thoroughly."
(Input from agencies)
