The letter written to PM Modi said that gau rakshaks pose a threat to law and order, and in case the Centre refuses to act, it would be ‘compelled’ to seek the SC’s intervention
The Congress on Saturday asked the Prime Minister and Home Minister to ban ‘gau rakshaks’ or cow protection vigilantes just as SIMI was banned in 2001 in the aftermath of 9/11 attacks. It said that gau rakshaks pose a threat to law and order, and in case the Centre refuses to act, it would be ‘compelled’ to seek the SC’s intervention.
Threatening to approach SC
In a letter to Narendra Modi, Maharashtra Congress secretary Shehzad Poonawalla cited the PM’s own remarks on gau rakshaks. “The PM himself had said that most gau rakshaks are antisocials, and since cow vigilantism is a challenge to rule of law , law and order, and Constitution, he must impose a nation-wide ban on all cow vigilante groups just like a ban was imposed on terror groups like SIMI, failing which, I shall be constrained to approach the Supreme Court,” Poonawalla said.
Govt accused of protecting Gau-rakshaks
Poonawalla raised the recent incident in Ahmedabad, where cow vigilantes beat up two people for transporting cows, one of whom succumbed on Friday. “In this instance, even if any law was violated by the victim, did gau rakshaks have the right to take law into their hands? Should the Gujarat police not have intervened? Should the Gujarat police not nab the accused rather than protect them and file cases against the victims?” Poonawalla said in the letter.
“Does it not show that the Gujarat government is protecting those who have challenged the rule of law guaranteed by the Constitution? Many of these groups are backed by VHP, Bajrang Dal, etc,” the letter added.
Source : IndiaToday
