Modi says guilty will be punished

Sending a stern warning to the perpetrators of violence in the aftermath of mayhem caused by followers of “godman” Gurmeet Ram Rahim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear on Sunday that violence in the name of faith of any kind will not be tolerated and the guilty would be punished.

In his monthly radio broadcast Mann ki Baat, Mr Modi said, “No one has the right to take the law into one’s own hands in the name of one’s beliefs. I want to assure my countrymen that people who take the law into their own hands and are on the path of violent suppression, whether it is a person or a group, neither this country nor any government will tolerate it.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio broadcast ‘Mann ki Baat’ on Sunday made it clear that violence will not be tolerated and the guilty would be punished.

Invoking Lord Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi to remind everyone of the country’s tradition of non-violence, Mr Modi said the Constitution prepared by B.R. Ambedkar provided scope for redressal of all kinds of grievances and justice to all. Though he did not mention any names, he was clearly referring to the mayhem caused by the followers of Ram Rahim, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda, in Haryana after his conviction in a rape case on Friday.

“Ours is the country of Buddha and Gandhi. It is the land of Sardar Patel, who gave up his all for the unity of the nation. For centuries, our forefathers have imbibed values, non-violence, mutual respect — these are inherent to us,” Mr Modi said.