Party unfairly blamed for attacks, says Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday said his party was being unfairly blamed for public lynchings.

He also said that such incidents had happened earlier too but questions were not asked then.

“I do not want to undermine lynching incidents by presenting a comparison. But in 2011, 2012, 2013, there were more lynchings each year than in these three years (of NDA rule). But questions were not asked then. How are questions being asked now?” Shah said at a party programme in Panaji.

Shah added, “Mohammad Akhlaq died in Uttar Pradesh when the Samajwadi Party was in government. Law and order is a state subject. It is their responsibility and yet there is a protest against the Narendra Modi government.”

Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly criticised the mob violence.

Raising questions over mass criticism coming from the media over lynchings, Shah said that the allegations were unfair.

Shah also questioned the rationale of journalists raising questions.

“What is this fashion? I can understand citizens, but why are journalists getting caught in such a flow?”

When asked if apprehension about public lynchings had been quelled by Modi’s recent public statement criticising such incidents, he replied, “There is no apprehension anywhere in the country.”

The BJP national president suggested there was a widespread effort by the opposition to unfairly blame the Modi government on the lynchings.