Prodded by SC, provoked by Rahul, Modi Govt finally acts

Special law proposed as Rahul harps on Brutal New India; SC to hear contempt plea against 3 BJP-ruled states

Prodded by the Supreme Court last week to enact a special law to deal with mob violence and lynching, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday set up a 4member committee headed by the Home Secretary to suggest within four weeks a legal framework to handle the menace.

The panel will give its recommendations to a group of ministers, headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, which will, in turn, submit its report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The action came even as the Supreme Court agreed to hear a contempt plea against the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in Rajasthan for failing to check such incidents.

The government was also spurred into taking action after the Congress raised the decibel level inside and outside Parliament with party president Rahul Gandhi alleging that hatred has replaced humanity in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Brutal New India.'

The saffron party, quick on the uptake, retaliated by dubbing Rahul as a "merchant of hate" who engages in "vulture politics" whenever a crime takes place. The angry response came from two union ministers-Piyush Goyal and Smriti Irani. "Stop jumping with joy every time a crime happens, Mr Rahul Gandhi. The state has already assured strict and prompt action. You divide the society in every manner possible for electoral gains and then shed crocodile tears. Enough is enough. You are a MERCHANT OF HATE," Goyal tweeted.

Goyal's remark echoed the attack on Modi by Sonia Gandhi during the 2007 Gujarat Assembly poll campaign when the then Congress President used the phrase 'maut ka saudagar' ('merchant of death') to target the then chief minister of the western state.

Irani accused Gandhi of resorting to "vulture politics" and claimed that not a single instance goes by when he doesn't attempt to rupture social bonds for electoral gains.

Last Friday, Rajnath Singh had refrained from assuring the Lok Sabha during the no-confidence debate that he would enact a new law as directed by the Apex Court. Instead, he tried to accuse the Congress of presiding over "the biggest lynching the nation ever witnessed in 1984.’’ But on Monday, he was keen to underscore that action was being taken.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday told reporters:

"The Centre has sent strong advisories to all state governments. The lynching issue has been taken up very seriously and no leniency in terms of action will be there. We want all the state governments to act on it."

On the Alwar lynching, he said the Home Ministry has sought a report from the Rajasthan government.

The ministerial panel on lynching will also include Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot. CONTEMPT PETITION: The Supreme Court will on August 20 hear a plea seeking contempt action against three states of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments for allowing mobs to lynch innocent victims. The court will also hear a plea filed by social activist Tehseen Poonawalla, whose petition led to the court issuing a host of directions on checking the menace of lynching.