Parliament uproar over cow vigilantes
NO CHANGE IN LAW Centre says states had powers to deal with such incidents and there was no need to change the law 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
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. 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 BJP. Countering the attack, minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar 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.
Declaring Right to Privacy a fundamental right could impact the top court’s judgement on the validity of section 377 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) that criminalizes gay sex in India, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday as it observed that privacy is not absolute and State could impose reasonable restrictions on citizens.
“If privacy is about right to make a choice, then choice in what areas? Family, sexual orientation, gender identity, surveillance, what all,” said a bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, which is reviewing the top court’s earlier verdicts that said citizens didn’t have a fundamental right to privacy under the Constitution.
“If yes (i.e. if right to privacy is a fundamental right), then Naz Foundation falls,” Justice DY Chandrachud –a member of the bench - asked the lawyers who argued privacy was a facet of liberty, which the Constitution guarantees.
SC had in 2013, refused to decriminalize consensual sexual acts of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) adults in private.
It had overturned the Delhi High Court verdict that read down the British-era law to legalise consensual sex among two adults in private.