Surendra Singh's murder should not be politicised, says Pramod Tiwari

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari on Monday said that the murder of Surendra Singh, ex-pradhan of Amethi, should not be politicised and the killers should be arrested as soon as possible.

Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said, "The murder of BJP worker Surendra Singh in Amethi is a very sad and unfortunate incident. It should not be equated with politics as the person who died had visited a stage of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress before. He had also welcomed Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Amethi before."

"Whoever is the culprit in this crime should be caught and strict action as per laws should be taken," he added.

Everyone has the right to pay homage to the deceased but the politicisation of the issue should be avoided, said Tiwari citing BJP leader Smriti Irani's visit to Amethi where she participated in the funeral procession of Singh to pay her tributes.

Surendra Singh was shot at by unidentified assailants when he was sleeping in the verandah of his house at around 3 am on Sunday. He was rushed to a trauma centre in Lucknow where he succumbed to injuries.

On being asked about Modi's Varanasi visit on Monday, Tiwari said, "This is his personal choice to visit his constituency before taking oath as Prime Minister."

Commenting on Sonia Gandhi's statement that she won't step back from sacrificing anything to safeguard the basic values of the country, Tiwari said, "Gandhi family has worked for country's unity and even made big sacrifices. Sonia Gandhi even sacrificed the post of Prime Minister. I respect her for this a lot.