Forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram', 3 Muslims including woman thrashed by alleged cow vigilantes

Three Muslims including a woman were mercilessly thrashed in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni for allegedly carrying beef in an auto. The incident that took place within 24 hours after the verdict of the Lok Sabha elections is a brutal reminder of the terror of cow vigilantism. According to latest media reports, five men including chief a fringe right-wing organisation have been arrested following the incident. The police sprang into action only after the video of the incident went viral on social media.

Among the politicians, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Asaduddin Owaisi was one of the few leaders who took note of the incident. Slamming the incumbent government, Owaisi retweeted the video. Tagging the Prime Minister’s Office, Owaisi wrote, “This is how Muslims are treated by Vigilantes created by Modi voters welcome to a New India which will Inclusive and as @PMOIndia said Secularism Ka Niqaab (sic).” News Nation cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also joined the leaders in slamming the Seoni incident. Taking a dig, he improvised an Urdu couplet and wrote, “Ibtedaae ishq hai rota hai kya Aage Aage dekhiye hota hai kya.” It roughly translates to, it is just beginning, wait and see what will happens.     

This month also saw murder of a man in Jammu over a cow. Tension prevailed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bhaderwah and curfew was imposed after a man was allegedly murdered by ‘cow vigilantes’. The victim identified as Nayeem Shah of Mohalla Qilla was believed to be in his late 40s. He was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on May 17 at around 2am. He was returning home along with two other people when the trio was stopped by some men and Shah was murdered in cold blood. The victim’s family has blamed cow vigilantes for the murder. However, multiple media reports quoted the police as saying that the facts were yet not clear.

Last year, the Supreme Court had taken a strong exception to the incidents of lynching by cow vigilantes and said that it was the obligation of states to ensure that no such incident occurs in the country. A bench headed by then Chief Justice Dipak Misra observed that the incidents of lynching were actually mob violence, therefore, they should not be linked with any religion. “This kind of incidents cannot occur. It can’t be accepted in the remotest sense. It was the obligation of states to ensure that such incidents do not occur,” the bench also comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud observed.