NEW DELHI: As social media was flush with outrage over the lynching of two Juna Akhara sadhus at Palghar in Maharashtra, several BJP leaders accused the Uddhav Thackeray government of failing to protect the two sadhus who were on their way to attend the funeral of their guru.“Maharashtra government will have to answer about the presence of NCP and CPM leaders in the Palghar crowd, which lynched the two sadhus and their driver. You (Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) run the coalition government, that doesn’t mean you hush up sins committed by your leaders. Was it a murder or a planned conspiracy to lynch Hindu saints?” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.Another BJP leader Sunil Deodhar alleged that NCP leader and district panchayat member Kashinath Choudhury was present along with other panchayat members from CPM like Vishnu Patra , Subhash Bhanwar and Dharma BhanwarReferring to Deodhar’s allegations, Patra claimed, “Very important revelation in the Palghar mob lynching case. It clearly establishes a deep nexus. Why should politicians and leaders be present at the lynching site? What were they doing… instigating?”The two sadhus belonged to the Juna Akhara, which has its headquarters in Varanasi. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Aditynath spoke to his Maharashtra counterpart and asked him to take action against the culprits.BJP’s social media head Amit Malviya said, “Suspicion of theft is a convenient excuse to justify Palghar. The saffron clad sadhus were pleading with cops to protect them, who let the mob lynch them. Maharashtra is collapsing, from health to law and order... the CM is clueless, others too vile. Balasaheb’s legacy deserved better.”Vishwa Hindu Parishad secretary Milind Parande said the ambush seemed to be part of a deeper conspiracy because many times in the past, there had been incidents of violence inspired by leftists in this area. Estranged Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam demanded capital punishment for the culprits.