A year before Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Nafe Singh Rathi was shot dead in Haryana’s Jhajjar district, he was accused of abetting the suicide of a BJP leader. Rathi’s family has now accused the BJP leader’s relatives of hatching the plot to murder the INLD leader.

In January last year, BJP leader from Bahadurgarh, Jagdish Rathi, died by suicide. The son of former Haryana minister Mange Ram Nambardar, Jagdish had accused released an audio note days before he consumed poison. The audio clip mentioned several people, including Rathi. He had alleged that they had grabbed their shop in 2019 and had threatened to grab their ancestral land and house too. A case was registered against Rathi and others, but the court granted him anticipatory bail.

Now, the list of accused in the INLD leader’s murder include Jagdish Rathi’s son Gaurav and brother Satish. BJP leader Narendra Kaushik, and three relatives of Bahadurgarh municipal corporation chairperson Saroj Rathi are also among the accused. The accused have been charged under sections relating to murder and criminal conspiracy. They have also charged under the Arms Act.

Rathi’s son Jitendra told NDTV that they had received information that the INLD leader and his family members were on target. “I was also under watch. I stopped going to the gym. My brothers were followed. Several attempts were made to target my father but God protected him, but the killer needs only one opportunity,” he said.

Jitendra added that Rathi met the district police chief and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and sought a security cover. “He had sent written applications to everyone, including the DGP, CID, principal secretary and the Home Ministry, seeking security for our family. But they kept denying our request. So, the state government is also involved in the conspiracy behind my father’s killing,” he alleged.

The INLD leader’s son alleged that local BJP leaders are involved in the killing. He added that the use of advanced weapons in the shooting suggested that the killers got adequate funds.

Rathi, who was the chief of INLD in Haryana, was returning to his Bahadurgarh home when the attack took place. His SUV had stopped near a railway crossing when a car pulled up and five shooters rained bullets at him and others in the SUV. While Rathi and one of his aides died, two others suffered serious injuries.

The Manohar Lal Khattar government has come under fire over the shooting. INLD chief Abhay Chautala has said Rathi had repeatedly sought security cover but it was not provided.

“Not a single culprit involved in this case will be spared. Police have been instructed to arrest the accused as soon as possible and take the strictest action,” Chief Minister Khattar said yesterday.

The BJP is buttressing its defences in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior days before Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra enters the state. Gwalior, which is apparently upset with the BJP, will be the gateway of the Congress footmarch.

Union home minister Amit Shah, the BJP’s chief strategist, held a meeting of party workers there on Sunday, where he offered a special tip to contribute to the BJP victory.

Addressing the booth level workers in Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency, Mr Shah urged every worker to add 370 additional votes on each booth. Taking this move statewide and countrywide, he said, could lead the BJP to a victory in all 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh and 370-plus seats across India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the party a 400-seat target this year.

Of the five regions in Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior is expected to see the toughest battle between the BJP and the Congress. In the recently held assembly elections, both parties were neck-and-neck, with the BJP wining 18 seats and the Congress just two seats behind.

The reason, party sources indicated was the Dalit Brahmin factor — the Dalits upset over the caste-based crimes since 2018 and the Brahmins over the lack of representation. Both sections had opposed the BJP, which led to the below-par performance.

The BJP has been working on a solution. To assuage Dalit anger, it had offered multiple schemes for them in the run-up to the assembly elections.

There are plans to bring the Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma — a Brahmin face — in the area to campaign.

On Sunday, Mr Shah’s second stop was Khajuraho, which the Congress has left for the Samajwadi Party this time as part of the seat-sharing agreement. In the recent assembly elections, BJP had won all the eight assembly constituencies there.

Mr Shah’s last stop was Bhopal, where the BJP has been winning Lok Sabha elections since 1989 and won six of the eight assembly constituencies in the 2023 elections.

KK Mishra, chief of the party’s state media cell, said, “On one hand, the BJP claims that they are going to win 400 seats and on the other hand they are scared about the visit of Rahul Gandhi and Congress”.

Legendary singer Pankaj Udhas, who gave memorable hits like ‘Chitthi aayi hai’, died after a prolonged illness, his family confirmed today. He was 72.

“With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padma Shri Pankaj Udhas on 26 February due to a prolonged illness,” read a statement from the Udhas family. 

Udhas, who made a mark as a playback singer in Hindi films, including “Naam”, “Saajan” and “Mohra”, died around 11 am at the Breach Candy hospital, news agency PTI said quoting a family source.

‘Chandani Raat Mein’, ‘Na Kajre Ki Dhaar’, ‘Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein’, ‘Ek Taraf Uska Ghar’ and ‘Thodi Thodi Piya Karo’ are among his evergreen ghazals. 

The singer, who also started a talent hunt TV show, ‘Aadab Aarz Hai’, performed at concerts around the world and had many albums to his name.

Soon after the news of his death broke, tributes poured in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pankaj Udhas’ “ghazals spoke directly to the soul”.  

“We mourn the loss of Pankaj Udhas Ji, whose singing conveyed a range of emotions and whose Ghazals spoke directly to the soul. He was a beacon of Indian music, whose melodies transcended generations. I recall my various interactions with him over the years,” said the Prime Minister. 

“His departure leaves a void in the music world that can never be filled. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” he added.

We mourn the loss of Pankaj Udhas Ji, whose singing conveyed a range of emotions and whose Ghazals spoke directly to the soul. He was a beacon of Indian music, whose melodies transcended generations. I recall my various interactions with him over the years.

His departure leaves… pic.twitter.com/5xL6Y3Sv75

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 26, 2024

Condoling the loss, Home Minister Amit Shah said Pankaj Udhas’ songs touched the hearts of people of all ages and classes and he will live among us through his songs and ghazals.

The singer rose to fame with Mahesh Bhatt’s 1986 film ‘Naam’ starring Nutan, Kumar Gaurav, Sanjay Dutt, Poonam Dhillon, Amrita Singh and Paresh Rawal. 

His song ‘Chitthi Aayee Hai’, which became a huge hit, was selected as one of the 100 songs of the millennium by BBC Radio.

Pankaj Udhas was born in Jetpur in Gujarat on May 17, 1951. He was the youngest of three brothers.

He initially started by learning the instrument tabla but later studied Hindustani vocal classical music under Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahab. 

Udhas then went to Mumbai to learn from Navrang Nagpurkar, a vocalist from the Gwalior Gharana.

The singer’s last rites will be held on Tuesday.