Parliament uproar over lynchings, farm suicides
NEW DELHI: The issue of lynching and cow vigilantism rocked the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after a united Opposition targeted the government which led to noisy scenes and adjournments marking discussions throughout the day.
The ruckus came to a head in the afternoon during a short duration discussion on lynching after some remarks by Samajwadi leader Naresh Agarwal, which the treasury benches said were hurting the sentiments of the majority community.
Though pandemonium prevailed for some time, the matter was resolved after the remarks were expunged by the chair and the member expressed regret.
In the morning, cow vigilantism came under sharp focus in Rajya Sabha after SP members stormed the well of House, dissatisfied with the Centre’s response to a question on people being lynched in the name of cow protection. The Centre asserted that state governments had the powers to deal with such incidents and there was no need to change the existing law. Samajwadi Party members raised slogans expressing disappointment over the government’s reply to questions on measures taken to stop such violence. Chairman Hamid Ansari had to adjourn the House for 10 minutes amid the din.
Minister of state for Home affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said states had powers to act against the perpetrators of violence in the name of cows and the ministry had already issued an advisory to all states for registering FIRs in such cases.
He also asserted that the Prime Minister had publicly spoken against killings in the name of cow protection.
You have people who question who eats beef and who doesn’t to identify Hindus and nonHindus today. Is this what my country is coming to? And these private armies are roaming around freely SITARAM YECHURY, CPM
He said for the first time, the National Crime Records Bureau had started keeping record of lynching incidents since 2014.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad attacked the government over lynching incidents , alleging that those attacking Dalits and minorities were getting protection from the ruling BJP. Countering the attack, minister of state for parliamentary affairs Muktar Abbas Naqvi said those indulging in lynchings are criminals.
CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said the lynching incidents strike at the very root of India’s Republican constitution.
“You have people who question who eats beef and who doesn’t to identify Hindus and non-Hindus today. Is this what my country is coming to? And these private armies are roaming around freely,” he said.
The observations on Pakistan were almost the same as observations in the country reports for 2015, for instance, reflecting a continuity from the previous Obama administration that had in August 2016 punished Pakistan for its patchy counter-terrorism by withholding $300 million in defence aid.