BackOpposition tears into govt for lynchings in the name of cow protection
Opposition accuses the govt of encouraging cow vigilante organizations saying that lynching in the name of religion and cow protection began only after the NDA came to power
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New Delhi: The opposition rounded on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government on Monday for its inability to contain incidents of mob lynching in the name of cow protection and religion, saying the resulting violence had created an atmosphere of fear and terror across the country.
In a short-duration discussion on lynching and mob violence in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the lower house, accused the government of encouraging cow vigilante organizations and said that lynching in the name of religion and cow protection began only after the National Democratic Alliance came to power.
Pointing to the involvement of organizations such as the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal in such cases, Kharge alleged that the BJP was encouraging such incidents. “It is being done so that your (BJP) ideology and philosophy can be established in the country," said Kharge.
“Hindustan should not be allowed to become lynchistan," he said and asked the government to give details of action taken against the accused.
“This government is against minorities, Dalits and women as these sections have been the most affected by mob violence. The Prime Minister condemns such incidents but what action has he taken," asked Kharge, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yet to speak about the killings on his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat.
Citing a number of mob lynchings this year in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the senior Congress leader said that these had mostly taken place in BJP-ruled states. “Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have become centres of mob lynching. Such incidents would become a major threat to the nation’s integrity," he warned.
Countering Kharge’s claims, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar said that action had been taken against those accused of perpetrating violence in the name of cow protection.
In a similar debate in the Rajya Sabha on 20 July, finance minister Arun Jaitley had condemned incidents of mob lynching and killings by cow vigilantes. Reiterating the government’s stand that nobody has the right to take the law into their own hands, Jaitley had said that such incidents should not be given a political colour.
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