Sadhvi with Vipin. Sadhvi with Vipin.

Vipin Yadav, 19, may have been identified by the police in the video of the alleged April 1 assault on National Highway 8 which led to Pehlu Khan’s death and injured four others, but self-styled gau rakshak Sadhvi Kamal Didi, who met him while he was appearing for his annual examination under judicial custody, has termed him the “Bhagat Singh and (Chandra Shekhar) Azad of today.”

In a video of the meeting which took place Monday at a college in Behror, the sadhvi was seen telling Yadav, “Poora Bharat tere saath mein hai, aur hum apne desh mein aise kaam nahi karenge toh kahan karenge. Koi bhi toh na jhuke, aur na he tujhe kisi prakar ki chinta karne ki avashakta hai. (The entire country is with you. If we won’t do such things in our country then where else. One shouldn’t give in. You shouldn’t worry about anything),” she said.

She went on to ask him about his meals: “Aur araam se achchhe se khana peena barhiya de rahe hai (Are you well and eating well)?”

As Yadav nodded, she asked him to speak up and not hesitate. “Chinta na kar tu. Tu ghabraya hua kaise bol raha hai beta (You don’t worry. You seem to be scared).” Vipin said: “Nahi hai aisi koi baat (No, there is no such matter).”

Turning to those present, the sadhvi then drew a parallel between Yadav and Bhagat Singh, “Ye Bhagat Singh, [Chandra Shekhar] Azad, Sukhdev, ye hain, ye log. Inhone koi bhi galat nahi kiya, kisi prakar ka galat nahi karke gaye. (People like him are Bhagat Singh, Azad and Sukhdev. They did not do any wrong),” she said to applause.

Last month, the sadhvi and her supporters had laid siege to a Jaipur hotel over rumours that it was having a “beef party” and also feeding beef to cows.”

The sadhvi told Yadav not to sit idle in jail but spread the message of sacrificing lives while protecting cows. “You must teach everyone in jail to say jai gau mata).” Speaking to The Indian Express, the sadhvi said, “What you heard in the video is right.”

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