india

Updated: Oct 20, 2019 21:23 IST

Family members of Kamlesh Tiwari, who was murdered in Lucknow on Friday, expressed unhappiness after meeting chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the latter’s residence in Lucknow on Sunday.

Kamlesh’s mother Kusum Tiwari, wife Kiran Tiwari and two sons, along with a representative of the Hindu Samaj Party (HSP) he headed, were brought from their native place in Sitapur to meet the CM in the afternoon.

“I went there to ask him (CM) why my son was murdered? Why his security was reduced. He replied that he was not here when the incident took place,” Kusum Tiwari told media persons in Sitapur. The family was not allowed to interact with the media in Lucknow after meeting the chief minister.

When asked if she was satisfied with the assurances given by the chief minister, the mother said, “Hamari ichha ke mutabik na unka haav rahe na bhav rahe (The chief minister’s demeanour and talks were not as per our wish). We are not satisfied with the assurances given by the chief minister and we will pick up arms if justice is not done.”

Tiwari was murdered by two assailants, who, according to police, were radicalised after his vitriolic comments on their faith, at his residence cum office in Khursheed Bagh in Lucknow on October 18. Police have arrested three masterminds of the case and are on a lookout for the assailants.

The mother also accused the police of forcing them to leave their house at a time they were in mourning to meet the CM. “In our customs, family members are not allowed to leave the house for 13 days of mourning, but we were forced to go out of the house. The policemen here forced us to leave the house because they said the chief minister has called us,” said the mother.

Kamlesh’s wife Kiran Tiwari, who also met the CM, said, “The chief minister said that justice will be done. We have demanded capital punishment for the murderers. The CM assured us that they will be punished.”

The mother had earlier alleged that a local BJP leader of Sitapur was behind the murder. She said the BJP leader had a land dispute with Kamlesh. She has now demanded investigation by National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murder of her son.

The family members have alleged that the number of police personnel deployed in security of Kamlesh Tiwari was reduced over the years that led to his murder. Tiwari was provided security in 2016 following his comment on a certain religion. Later, his security was scaled down. Currently, just two constables were deployed for his security. One of the constables was present in the ground floor when assailants killed Tiwari on the first floor of his house.