INDIA Udaipur, Hindu tailor beheaded by Islamists. The bishop: ‘let’s avoid confrontation’

The man was attacked in his shop in the Rajasthan city for defending the BJP spokeswoman on social media. The official ended up in the eye of the hurricane for some offensive phrases about Muhammad that she uttered during a television program. Archbishop Ganawa: “As Christians we are in favor of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence among all communities. I pray that common sense prevails.”

Udaipur () – The Bishop of Udaipur, Monsignor John Ganawa, launched an appeal for peace and dialogue after the macabre murder of a tailor, which occurred yesterday at the hands of Islamic extremists in Rajasthan.

Kanhaiya Lal was beheaded yesterday by two assailants who broke into his shop, located in a busy market in the Maldas area. The motive for the killing is believed to have been a post shared by the merchant on social media in which he supported Nupur Sharma, the spokeswoman for the BJP (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party). The official was suspended for making derogatory comments about the Prophet Muhammad during a debate on the television channel TimesNow. The case rouses tempers in India for several weeks and the local Muslim communities have been the source of constant fighting and controversy.

Lal was attacked by a man with a knife, while another subject filmed the crime in a video that was later published on the Internet. In the footage, the two assailants identified themselves as Mohammed Riyaz Attari and Ghouse Mohammed, brandishing swords and claiming they would also kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said two men were detained in the city of Rajsamand in connection with the killing. In several areas of the city of Udaipur, a limit was imposed on gatherings of more than four people, fearing that the incident could trigger more violence.

“As a representative of the Christian community of Udaipur,” said Msgr. Ganawa in statements to , “I call for peace and harmony among all communities. We are in favor of religious tolerance, dialogue and peaceful coexistence among all communities. I pray that common sense prevails among all of us.”