VHP brands Tabrez Ansari lynching as ‘conspiracy’     

A day after police in Jharkhand dropped murder charges against the accused in the mob lynching of Tabrez Ansari, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) called it a "conspiracy of secularists".

"Tabrez's post-mortem report released after intensive investigation has not only clarified the reasons for his death but also exposed a major conspiracy of the secular gang," said VHP Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain.

He blamed it on "the Khan Market Mafia, which has repeatedly been maligning Hindu society, India and humanity". Jain also called them "nourishers" of "jehadi terrorists".

He claimed that "More than 20 temples were demolished due to the campaign launched after Tabrez's death and at 32 places jihadists made fierce demonstrations and attacked Hindus.

The horrors of the demonstrations in Surat and Ranchi can never be forgotten. But if any Muslim gets hurt in a riot, then the Khan Market Gang gets another chance to discredit the Hindu society, Hindu organisations and the central government."

The saffron body also accused a section of politicians and "so-called intellectuals" with "vested interests" of strengthening the "hands of the opponents of the country by instilling in people disaffection for the entire judicial system of the country".

On June 17, a few people of Dhatkidih village in Jharkhand, a few kilometres from Tabrez Ansari's house, caught him and branded him a thief before beating the 24-year-old to death. Eleven persons have so far been charged in the case.

On Tuesday, the police dropped murder charges against the accused in the case.