Bhopal — In another shocking incident, a video shows over 24 men were badly beaten to hail cow by chanting “Gau Mata ki Jai” by a group of cow vigilantes in Khandwa district of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday.
Over 15 men among the 24 of them were seen tied with a rope and were forced to kneel by the side of the road so that commuters can watch them being beaten, and then they were forced to chant “Gau Mata ki Jai” to hail in the name of Cow. Six among them were Muslims. The victims were carrying the cattle for an animal fair in Maharastra state.
According to PTI newsagency, over 100 cow vigilantes overpowered the victims and alleged that they were carrying 20 cows for slaughter, however district police superintendent Shivdayal Singh said that the transporters made false claim as they couldn’t prove it with valid proofs.
“With none of the 24 men possessing valid documents to prove their claims and also transporting the cattle in vehicles in consonance with relevant guidelines, they were arrested and booked under provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Govansh Vadh Pratishedh Adhiniyam and provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” he said.
On the other hand, a day before the start of the monsoon session of the state assembly where the lawmakers suggested the bill against cow vigilantism to be introduced. If the bill is passed the jobless cow vigilantes will be jailed between six to five years and a fine of Rs. 50,000 will be imposed.
In a similar incident in May, two men were tied to a tree and beaten for allegedly carrying beef in an autorickshaw at a village in Madhya Pradesh, it also showed a woman being hit repeatedly with a slipper on her head, covered with a piece of cloth, as the attacker kept screaming “Jai Shri Ram”.
Cow vigilantism in India has been on rise since Modi Government came into power. Modi Government received criticism in the UN assembly recently for not acting enough to stop the mob attacks.