Veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said Union Home Minister Amit Shah should clarify the delay in taking the Kanhaiya Lal murder case to conclusion in court.

He said the case was taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the night of the incident three years ago. Still, the central agency has not been able to even get statements recorded in the case, the former chief minister claimed. Kanhaiya Lal Sahu, a tailor, was murdered by two cleaver wielding men in Udaipur in June 2022. Gehlot was the chief minister at the time.

“Our police had apprehended the accused within four hours of the incident. NIA took over the case in the night... but even after all this time, they have failed to make any headway,” Gehlot said at a press conference at his residence.

“In many cases, decisions are made within six months but this case is still pending. The lack of action has made people question the effectiveness of the government,” he added.

Gehlot also accused the BJP of making false accusations and using the incident as a political tool during election campaigns. “We gave government jobs to both sons (of Kanhaiya Lal) and provided a compensation package worth Rs 50 lakh. This was the largest compensation package given to anyone post-Independence,” he said.

“(However) they falsely claimed that Kanhaiya Lal’s family received only Rs 5 lakh while a Muslim family was given a compensation of Rs 50 lakh. They created Hindu-Muslim narrative and it contributed significantly to our defeat (in 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections).”

Targeting the Bhajanlal Sharma government, Gehlot alleged that law and order was deteriorating under the BJP’s rule. “Recently, a Dalit boy was kidnapped, stripped naked and taken from Alwar to Bundi. This is an indication of the growing fearlessness among criminals, and it is a worrying sign for the people of Rajasthan,” the former chief minister said.

He said there was widespread criticism about the government’s performance.