Nafe Singh Rathi, a two-time MLA in Haryana who held the portfolio of State President of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and was publicly shot dead by gangsters, had received multiple death threats. In this series, the opposition MLAs are alleging inside and outside the house that he was repeatedly receiving death threats and despite that the police did not provide him security. it is noteworthy that in the last two years in the state, more than half a dozen sitting MLAs have received death and ransom threats. Most of these MLAs belong to the Congress Party and this matter was echoed in the Assembly session on 26th February that despite receiving continuous threats by MLAs, with a casual approach towards the matter, the state police refrained itself from taking any concrete steps regarding the security of the MLAs, which is a matter of serious concern. Leader of Opposition Bhupendra Singh Hooda also said in the House that Lawrence Bishnoi’s name is being heard in the murder.
Among the legislators who received death threats in a period of around two years are Congress including Renubala, Surender Pawar, Kuldeep Vats, Maman Khan and Subhash Gangoli from Sadhaura, Sonipat, Badli, Firozpur Jhirka and Safidon respectively along with BJP BJP MLA Sanjay Singh from Sohna. Most of these MLAs have received death threats calls for ransom from Dubai.
Notably, Sadhaura MLA Renu Bala claimed that he received a call from a foreign number informing him that he got a detah contract Rs 25 lakh to kill him. Congress MLA from Safidon Subhash Gangoli had received a death threat in the name of a henchman of the Goldie Brar gang. Similarly, Faridabad’s NIT MLA Neeraj Sharma along with his family received death threats and the police had registered an FIR then after MLA Neeraj Sharma lodged a complaint in the police station. The concerned Congress MLAs were seeking a probe into the matter by the sitting judge of the High Court as well as by NIA. It is pertinent to mention that . apart from aforesaid former MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi has also received death threats.
Opposition leaders in the Assembly accused the government of being negligent regarding the security of the MLAs saying that despite receiving repeated threats, security was not provided to the concerned MLAs. Congress MLA Neeraj Sharma said that according to the data provided by the Assembly itself, 690 security personnel and police personnel are deployed in the state for the protection of 24 persons, whereas those who need it are not given security. Further he said that those who need the security are not getting it, instead, those who are accused in several cases are getting it. If someone is giving in writing that his life is under threat, then the state government should have conducted an investigation and provided him with security. While reacting to issue INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala said on gangster Lawrence Bishnoi being linked to the attack, he said that this is the government’s ploy to save itself.
