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BJP to raise MLA's murder in Assembly

Senior leader Rajnath Singh continues his `dharna' in Varanasi for the fifth consecutive day

Lucknow: The BJP will take up the issue of the killing of party MLA Krishnanad Rai in Ghazipur last week in the State Legislature and confront the Mulayam Singh Yadav Government on the poor law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

Though, the State Assembly would be adjourned after expressing condolences tomorrow over the death of Mr Rai, the BJP would raise the matter when it sits again on December 8, as for the first time a sitting member has been killed when the House was in session.

Party leaders are critical of the Chief Minister's statement that the killing of the BJP MLA was due to gang war.

State BJP President Kesri Nath Tripathi said here on Sunday that the party would raise the Krishnanand Rai issue in a big way on December 8 as on Monday the Assembly would be adjourned after condoling his death. The party was demanding a CBI probe into the incident and dismissal of the Mulayam government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the State.

Mr Tripathi also criticised the U.P. government for terming the MLA's killing as a result of gang war in Eastern U.P. "The State Government was only trying to divert the attention of the masses from the present Jungle Raj prevailing in the State," he claimed. "The statement of the CM saying several legislators have been killed during the past was an effort to cover up its lapses and to protect the controversial independent MLA Mukhtar Ansari and his family members who were behind the killing," he alleged.

He said all senior BJP leaders including legislators would be present at Varanasi on December 6 when party president L.K. Advani would launch State-wide `Nyaya Yatra'.

Meanwhile, BJP National general secretary Rajnath Singh continued to sit on `dharna' in Varanasi for the fifth consecutive day on Sunday. Planning to convert his dharna' into a fast unto death, Mr Singh had announced he would not relent till the demand for a CBI probe was met. Mr Singh has been on dharna since November 30 to protest the gruesome murder of Krishnanand Rai. The U.P. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who had spoken to him over the phone a couple of days back, could not convince him to end his `dharna'.

Mr Advani is scheduled to reach Varanasi on Tuesday to participate in the `Nyaay Yatra' in connection with the murder of the party MLA. Dharna, demonstrations and violent protests were witnessed in several places in the state during the last few days. East U.P. has been assailed by violent protests.

BJP workers were an agitated lot since the BJP MLA from Mohammadabad was shot dead in cold blood along with seven supporters in his constituency in Ghazipur district on November 29. Several incidents of arson and vandalism had been reported in several parts of East U.P. after the day-light murder of the

Yesterday, brother of slain BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai, Brijesh Rai met Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and demanded a CBI probe into the daylight murder.

Mr Rai, along with former BJP MP from Ghazipur Manoj Sinha, met the Mr Yadav at his official residence, after reportedly being invited by the Chief Minister demanding a CBI probe into the killing, they claimed that investigations by a Central Agency alone would satisfy them.

"The situation is such that we would only be satisfied by a CBI probe," he reportedly told the CM.

The Chief Minister, while assuring action against the guilty said that "No one, no matter who he is, would be spared if found guilty of the crime". Mr. Yadav also promised at least 10 security personnel to guard family members of the deceased MLA.

The State police, meanwhile, raided a school in Jaunpur for nabbing gangster Munna Bajrangi, one of the ten accused in the killing of the MLA and seven others in Ghazipur district on Tuesday.

Another team of the STF, raided the residence of another accused Aaturahman Sahabuddin, a close relative of Mukhtar in Ghazipur on Saturday night but could not arrest him. Instead the police team seized three deers from his residence. Another team was raiding the residences of other accused in Mehrupur.

The state government last night also transferred the District Magistrate of Ghazipur K.M. Pandey. The Police Superintendent of Ghazipur had already been transferred after the incident. The BJP MLA from Mohamdabad (Ghazipur) alongwith seven others was murdered on the Ghazipur-Ballia border on Tuesday. A case has been registered against ten persons including controversial indpendent MLA Mukhtar Ansari, his Samajwadi Party MP brother Afzal Ansari and Munna Bajarangi.

One of the ten accused, Ejaz Ahmed, also the brother-in-law of Mukhtar and Afzal, has already surrendered at a Ghazipur court. Meanwhile, there was no headway in the murder case being probed by the Special Task Force (STF) and the Ghazipur district police. -- UNI

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BJP to raise MLA's murder in Assembly

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