Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): In a shocking incident, former Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari was shot dead by unidentified men here on Friday afternoon. Reports say two men visited him at his office under the pretext of handing over Diwali gifts and pumped bullets into him before escaping. Tiwari was rushed to the trauma center of a near by hospital where he was pronounced dead by doctors.

Lucknow Senior Superintendent of Police Kalanidhi Naithani said police teams have been formed to arrest the assailants, reported news agency IANS.

This is the fourth murder of a right wing leader this month.

  • On October 8, BJP leader Chaudhary Yashpal Singh was gunned down in a similar manner in Deoband.

  • On October 10, a BJP leader Kabir Tiwari, also a former student leader, was shot dead in Basti which led to student groups going on rampage and burning down government vehicles.

  • On October 13, BJP corporator Dhara Singh, 47, was gunned down by unidentified assailants in Deoband in Saharanpur on Saturday morning.


In 2015, Kamlesh Tiwari was booked under National Security Act for making controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad

Tiwari's remarks had sparked a public outrage. Hundreds of Muslims protesting against him in West Bengal's Malda, entered Kaliachawk police station, ransacked it & set it on fire.

Tiwari’s outrageous remarks had provoked countrywide protests by the minority community. Some cleric in Bijnore had also demanded his beheading.

Tiwari’s supporters had then claimed that his comments were in reaction to objectionable comments made by UP’s minority welfare minister (then) Azam Khan against RSS leaders.



5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT KAMLESH TIWARI:

  • Kamlesh Tiwari is a native of Sitapur district.

  • He claimed of being working president of Akhil Bharitya Hindu Maahsabha which was dismissed by other leaders of the right-wing outfit.

  • Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad had demanded capital punishment against Azam Khan for his statements. “Kamlesh Tiwari should be hanged for his statement but same punishment should also be given to a Muslim minister (Azam) whose statement triggered Tiwari’s statement.”

  • Over one lakh Muslims had gathered in Muzzaffarnagr demanding a death penalty for him for his comments on Prophet Mohammad.

  • In January 2015, he was arrested for announcing that he will construct a temple in honour of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse in Sitapur.

  • Kamlesh Tiwari had allegedly threatened journalists of a news channel in Lucknow over running a show on Afzal Guru's hanging.