The persons accused in the 2022 killing of a tailor in Udaipur have not been punished yet because they are workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party, PTI quoted Congress leader and Rajasthan’s former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot as alleging on Sunday.

“From 2022 till 2026, Kanhaiya Lal’s family has been waiting for justice,” Gehlot reportedly said.

In June 2022, Lal, a tailor, was killed for purportedly sharing a social media post in support of suspended BJP Spokesperson Nupur Sharma. She had made disparaging remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a television debate in May 2022.

The assailants and several other persons accused in the matter were arrested by the Rajasthan Police. A video showed two men claiming responsibility for the killing of Lal as they brandished the cleavers used in the murder.

The murder case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency and the persons accused in the matter were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The trial is underway in a Special NIA Court in Jaipur.

On Sunday, Gehlot was responding to a statement made by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session.

Sitharaman had said on Thursday that the Congress government that was in power in Rajasthan when Lal was killed did not take any action in the murder case.

Gehlot described this as “factually incorrect and misleading”, reported PTI.

The Congress leader said that his government had taken swift action and arrested the accused persons, following which the BJP-led Union government got the probe transferred to the National Investigation Agency.

He added that he has repeatedly sought details of the status of the case from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but received no response to his queries about when the accused would be punished.

Public apprehension is growing due to the delay in punishing the accused, claimed the Congress leader.

He also claimed that the matter was publicised with “false claims” during the Rajasthan Assembly elections in 2023, reported PTI.