Rajnath Singh reiterated that the biggest incident of lynching had occurred in 1984 when thousands Sikhs were killed in the aftermath of the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh (Photo: Facebook)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday the central government was taking the incidents of lynching “very seriously” and might bring a law, if necessary, to stop them.
“I want to make it clear that we are not just concerned but have taken lynching incidents very seriously,” Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha amid Opposition outcry over lynching incidents.
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The Home Minister said the government on Monday formed a panel that would suggest measures to stop mob violence in the country.
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Days after a cattle farmer was killed allegedly by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan’s Alwar, Rajnath Singh said the Home Secretary-led panel would give its recommendations to a Group of Ministers within four weeks.
“We will also bring a law if that is required.”
Rajnath Singh said the biggest incident of lynching had occurred in 1984 when thousands Sikhs were killed in the aftermath of the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He said such incidents had been happening in the past.
Meanwhile, the incident of alleged lynching of a Muslim man on the suspicion of cow smuggling in Alwar was raised in the Rajya Sabha also on Tuesday, with the opposition TMC demanding a law to prevent killings by vigilantes.
Raising the issue through a zero hour mention, Shanta Chhetri of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) cited media reports to say that “88 precious lives have been lost (in lynching incidents) since this government came to power”.
Also Read | Govt sets up high-level committee, Group of Ministers headed by Rajnath Singh to frame law against lynchings
Noting that the Supreme Court had last week asked for a law banning mob lynching, she asked what the government had done to check such incidents.
She wanted to know the steps initiated to check such attacks and the government action on framing the anti-lynching law.
She found support from several opposition parties, whose members raised their hands to “associate” themselves with the issue raised.
(With agency inputs)
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