Lynchings Will Stop if People Don’t Eat Beef: RSS’ Indresh Kumar

“Cow slaughter is a sin across religions,” Indresh Kumar added.

RSS Leader Indresh Kumar has claimed that cow slaughter was banned across religions like Islam and Christianity.

(Photo altered by The Quint)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar on Monday, 23 July, courted controversy when he claimed that lynchings across India would cease if people just stopped eating beef.

According to ANI, Kumar said cow slaughter was banned across religions like Islam and Christianity.

Jesus was born in a cowshed. That is why they call it the ‘holy cow’. Cow slaughter is banned in Mecca and Medina. We should make it a resolution to rid humanity of this sin. If humanity gets rid of this sin, the society will get rid of this problem (lynching).

Indresh Kumar

“Mob lynchings are condemnable, but cow slaughter is a sin across religions,” he added.

Stop Cow Smuggling: Rajasthan Minister 'Appeals' to Muslims

Rajasthan minister Jaswant Yadav “appealed” to Muslims to “stop their business of smuggling cows.”

Appeal Muslims to understand the sentiments of Hindus and stop smuggling cows. They must stop this business. As far as his death is concerned, I express condolence and I stand against those who take law in their hands.

Jaswant Yadav

The state’s Home Minister GC Kataria, however, said that Yadav should explain his statement. Speaking to ANI, Kataria said:

Jaswant Yadav should answer for himself. The law does not give anyone the right to kill. Whosoever is responsible will be punished.

‘The War for Gau Rakhsha Wont Stop’: BJP MLA

BJP MLA from Telengana, T Raja Singh Lodh on Sunday, 22 July, posted a video on Facebook stating that the “war for gau raksha” (cow protection) and incident of lynchings will not stop till the time cow receives the status of “Rashtra Mata” (Mother of the Nation). Singh further added, “This war of protecting cows will not stop even if the gau rakshaks are put in jails or are fired at.”

Another Lynching in Alwar

Kumar and Yadav’s statement comes days after a 32-year-old man, Akbar Khan, was lynched in Rajasthan’s Alwar. The lynchings have continued in India even as the issue is being widely debated in courts and in the ongoing monsoon session of the Parliament.

According to The Indian Express, Kumar was speaking at a press meet in a hotel in Ranchi, where he inaugurated the Jharkhand unit of Hindu Jagran Manch.

Twitterati Furious

People took to Twitter to slam Indresh Kumar’s comments, with a few pointing out that lynchings should have been rampant in the northeast and states like Kerala where beef is not banned, but they’re not.

Congress leader H Dalwai said that Kumar should be arrested for his statement.

“Indresh was named in a bomb blast case. Why does the government allow him to speak like that? Why isn't he jailed? Unka lynching hoga to samjhega kya? Don't want this for anyone. They want to make India Pak or Afghanistan,” said Dalwai.

Muslims Should Stop Eating Beef: Shia Waqf Board

Supporting Indresh Kumar’s statements, Shia Waqf Board Chief Waseem Rizvi said that security can’t be deployed everywhere and a law should be made to punish the ones indulging in cow slaughter.

“Muslims should stop eating beef. Killing of cows should stop. Meat of cows is 'haram' in Islam as well. You can't stop mob lynching, security can't be deployed everywhere. So a law should be made awarding strict punishment to those killing cows,” he said.

“I think Indresh Ji's statement has a point. Religious sentiments should not be hurt. If law is made to stop killing of cows, lynching will stop. You can't kill someone who is given the status of mother by a community,” he added.

(With inputs from ANI and The Indian Express)