A right-wing Hindu leader has been shot dead in the northwestern Indian state of Punjab.
According to the reports, a radical Hindu leader was shot dead in broad daylight on November 4th in Punjab's Amritsar, where the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) is located.
Hindu Right Wing and Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri Shot Dead in Amritsar. The incident happened outside a temple.#Sudhirsuri #ShivSena #Hinduism#hinduleader #RightWing pic.twitter.com/CklDKXebUe
— Transcontinental Times (@Transctimes) November 4, 2022
The 58-year-old Sudhir Suri, head of the fundamentalist religious group Hindu Shiv Sena (Taksali), was shot dead while participating in a protest outside the temple Gopal Mandir.
Sandeep Singh, a local shopkeeper who shot Suri, was arrested, and police seized the .32-Calibre licensed weapon used in the crime.
Local reports said Suri was protesting outside the temple Gopal Mandir near Majitha road against its management for the alleged blasphemy of Hindu deities.
Before the incident took place, Suri was seen engaging in an argument with the management of the temple over the alleged desecration of idols. He was live on Facebook, showing footage of some Hindu idols as he exclaims, "shamelessly dumped in the garbage."
"We will not tolerate such sacrilege, even if by fellow Hindus.", said Suri during his live stream.
Hindus in Punjab today are facing what Hindus in Kashmir have faced in 90’s.
After Hindu leader #Sudhir_Suri was shot dèad, Hindu leaders are asked not to step outside by @Ludhiana_Police.
This is happening in a Hindu majority nation. Shame on you @ArvindKejriwal ! pic.twitter.com/nU5NdHWGP9— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) November 7, 2022
Moments before getting shot, Suri explained the protest's motive to the police personnel. Multiple gunshots can be heard in the video of the attack, which went viral on social media.
According to the reports, Suri collapsed after five shots were fired at him. He was immediately taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries.
Suri had been accused of derogatory and blasphemous comments against the Sikh community, which triggered controversies in the past. About two years ago, Suri was arrested over a questionable video clip, allegedly denigrating women and inciting enmity between different groups in July of 2022 in the Indore city of Madhya Pradesh. However, he denied the allegations.
The Shiv Sena's leader was on the hit list of several gangsters and pro-Khalistani members for quite a long time. The government provided security with around eight Punjab police personnel accompanying him for his protection.
#BREAKING
Shiv Sena leader, Sudhir Suri, who was shot dead in Amritsar, was on the hitlist of the pro-Khalistani elements, police sources reveal.
@Gurpreet_Chhina | @madhavgk pic.twitter.com/tKeNSlOII5— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 4, 2022
The senior police commissioner of Amritsar, Arun Pal Singh, said, "the assailant arrived on the spot and shot him dead in full public view." The accused was nabbed by Punjab police guards attached with Suri as part of his security, Arun added.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, said, "We will not allow the situation to be disturbed. We will unveil the entire conspiracy behind the murder, and all those who are behind it will be arrested."
The accused, Sandeep Singh, the owner of a local garment shop near the protest site and resident of the Sultanwind area of Amritsar city, was arrested on the spot. A murder case was registered at the city's Sadar Police station.
Primary investigations uncovered that Sandeep and Suri had never had an encounter before the incident. Sandeep was interrogated by a team of Punjab police officers and intelligence agency officials to find the reason behind the killing.
Yadav said the situation in Amritsar is entirely under control. Police will investigate the basis of available information.
The former chief minister and BJP leader Amarinder Singh, condemning Suri's death, has said in a tweet, "Strongly condemn brutal murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri in Amritsar today. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace and harmony and fight enemies of Punjab together. While it reflects poorly on the law and order situation in Punjab, I hope culprits are given exemplary punishment."
Yadav said, "Punjab has an exemplary record of communal harmony," and requested the local populace maintain calm to preserve the hard-earned peace.
