Mob violence: Govt directs AIR, DD to run warning messages

NEW DELHI:

The information and broadcasting ministry has issued a direction to public broadcasters, Doordarshan and All India Radio, to carry messages to caution people about the consequences of mob lynching.

According to the order, people will have to be cautioned that “mob lynching will invite serious consequences under the law” via scrolls on television and messages on radio.

“It is a direction to DD and AIR and a request to private channels to run information about the consequences of mob lynching,” an official aware of the developments said on Friday.

The ministry’s direction comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s September 24 order asking all states and union territories to comply with its directions on curbing cow vigilantism and mob lynching, the official added. The court had said people should realise such incidents would invite the “wrath of law”.

Earlier, the court had directed the Centre, states and Union Territories to publicise its verdict on mob violence and asked them to disseminate information on measures to curb mob violence on their websites and through the media.

On July 17, the Supreme Court had said that “horrendous acts of mobocracy” could not be allowed to overrun the law of the land and issued a slew of guidelines to deal with mob lynchings and cow vigilantism, besides asking the Centre to enact a stern law to deal with such cases.

Three days later, 28-year-old dairy farmer Rakbar Khan — he was transporting two cows — was lynched in Rajasthan’s Lalwandi village by cow vigilantes on the suspicion that the animals were being taken for slaughter.

In the wake of fresh cases of lynching, the ministry of home affairs has also reminded states to appoint an officer of the level of superintendent of police in each district, set up a special task force for gathering intelligence and closely monitor social media.