A Hindu man was killed in his tailoring shop in a northwestern Indian town on Tuesday, and two machete-wielding Muslim men in a video claimed responsibility for it, raising tension in the area.
Experts said the Udaipur incident could have national consequences in the Hindu-majority country.
“What has happened today in Udaipur may trigger serious communal riots,” said Shesh Paul Vaid, a former senior police official in a different state.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Twitter said: “Both the accused for the murder of the youth in Udaipur have been arrested.”
“By ensuring speedy investigation, the criminals will be punished severely in court. I again appeal to all to maintain peace,” Gehlot added.
The two bearded men said in the video that they killed the Hindu tailor and warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi of a similar fate.
Local media said the Hindu man, Kanhaiyalal Teli, had backed Nupur Sharma, a suspended spokesperson for Modi’s party whose controversial comments on the Prophet Mohammed last month led to a diplomatic backlash for India from many Muslim countries.
“The government of Rajasthan needs to act under the law most urgently and punish the duo perpetrators, otherwise it will be a failure of the law and order machinery,” Vaid said.
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