Sunday, 30 June 2024
Sunday, 30 June 2024
Here are a few incidents from the days since the new NDA government was elected to power – with Narendra Modi’s BJP being cut down to below the majority mark on its own in the Lok Sabha – that are similar to the headlines during the first two terms of the prime minister.
Chhattisgarh lynchings
Two cattle transporters, Guddu Khan and Chand Miya Khan, were killed, and a third, Saddam Qureshi, was critically injured after a mob attacked them early on June 7 in Arang near Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The three victims, who were from Uttar Pradesh, were found lying injured below a 30-foot high bridge on the Mahanadi river. The truck in which they were ferrying cattle was found on the bridge. Reportedly four men, Navin Singh Thakur, Mayank Sharma, Harsh Mishra and Raja Agarwal, have been arrested in connection with the case.
‘Robber’ lynched in Aligarh
A mob lynched a 30-year-old man, Mohammad Farid aka Aurangzeb, at a weekly market in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, on June 19, with conflicting reports portraying him as an innocent street vendor and an armed robber. Six suspects — all local shopkeepers — were arrested last week, and two videos surfaced on June 20 showing a man being beaten by some 15 people while he begs for mercy. Shopkeepers in the area kept their shutters down on the same day in protest against the arrests.
Madhya Pradesh: Houses demolished over beef
Houses built on government land by 11 persons were demolished in tribal-dominated Mandla in Madhya Pradesh as part of action against the illegal beef trade in the state, police said on June 14. The action was taken after a tip-off was received that a large number of cows had been held captive for slaughter in Bhainwahi area in Nainpur. Mandla Superintendent of Police Rajat Saklecha told PTI, "A team was rushed there and we found 150 cows tied in the backyards of the accused. Cow meat was recovered from the refrigerators in the homes of all the 11 accused," he said. "The houses of the 11 accused were demolished as they were on government land.” Cow slaughter in MP is punishable with a jail term of seven years.
Unrest in Medak, Telangana
In Telangana’s Medak town, clashes erupted over the alleged transportation of cows for slaughter ahead of the Bakrid festival on June 15. According to police, the Minhaj Ul Uloom madrasa in Medak had bought cattle for sacrifice in preparation for Bakrid. Tensions rose when cow vigilantes caused a disturbance near the madrasa, resulting in several injuries and damage to shops and business establishments. When the affected individuals were taken to a nearby hospital, the mob followed, vandalising and pelting stones at the hospital. The police took the cattle, deemed unfit for slaughter, to an animal shelter, and used lathi-charge to disperse the rioters. Authorities imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC to prevent further incidents, and the situation was brought under control with additional police personnel deployed.
Violence in Odisha
A clash erupted in the Sunhat area of Balasore town during Eid on June 17. Reportedly, some vigilantes suspected that someone was slaughtering a cow inside a house for sale. Noticing something resembling blood in the nearby nulla, they tried to barge into the house. The other group protested and a scuffle and stone pelting ensued. Curfew was clamped and internet services remained suspended until June 20 in Balasore.
Cow-slaughter claim in Himachal Pradesh
In Himachal Pradesh's Nahan, a man's garment shop in Saharanpur was allegedly attacked over claims of illegal cow slaughter on June 19. A police investigation found that the shopkeeper had not slaughtered the cow but a buffalo, legally permitted for slaughter and consumption.
