Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday denied that the 70-year-old man, who was beheaded in Darbhanga city on Thursday night, was killed because he named a square after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as the victim’s family claimed. Sushil Kumar Modi said Ramchandra Yadav – a Bharatiya Janata Party worker’s father – was murdered because of a property dispute, DNA reported.

On Friday, Ramchandra Yadav’s son Kamlesh Yadav claimed that Rashriya Janata Dal workers had killed his father because he had named a junction “Narendra Modi Chowk”. Kamlesh Yadav, who was also injured in the attack, alleged that the assailants said the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s victory in the bye-polls “marked their party’s resurgence, and so they wanted to rename the square after Lalu Prasad”.

Bihar’s deputy chief minister said this was “totally false” and that the “Modi chowk board was put up long back”. He asserted that Ramchandra Yadav was murdered because of a land dispute, according to DNA.

The police said Ramchandra Yadav was murdered because of a personal enmity. Dharbanga Additional Superintendent of Police Dilnawaz Ahmad said they were not aware of any dispute over the name of the square.

Security was increased in Darbhanga after the beheading.