Una Again: Gau Rakshaks Carry Out Fresh Attacks in Andhra, UP

The two men from the Madiga community were skinning the cow, when members of gau raksha dal beat them up.

Assaults on minorities aren’t uncommon anymore. (Photo: Reuters)

In a fresh incident of cow vigilantism, Bajrang Dal activists allegedly thrashed four people on suspicion of being “cow thieves” near Jiroli village on the outskirts of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh.

The incident occurred when gau rakshaks led by Bajrang Dal district president Kedar Singh tried to intercept a Matador carrying a buffalo but the driver refused to stop, police said.

The activists raised an alarm and a road block was laid by other members of the group at a short distance ahead. Seeing the road block, the four persons who were in the Matador jumped out and tried to escape, they added.

However, they were nabbed and beaten up by the crowd which had gathered on the spot before being handed over to the police along with their vehicle.

Also Read : Hindutva Bodies Slam PM’s ‘Gau Rakshak’ Remarks, Send Legal Notice

Similar Incident of Cow Vigilantism in Andhra Pradesh

Earlier in the day, two Dalit men were brutally beaten up by cow vigilantes in a village in Andhra Pradesh, on Tuesday. The two men were identified as Mokati Elisha and Lazer, of the Madiga community. Cow vigilantes suspected that they had killed the animal they were skinning.

The two were admitted to a hospital in Amalapuram for treatment and Elisha’s condition was said to be serious.

The two men were skinning the cow when members of gau raksha dal accused them of killing the animal and beat them up.

Police have arrested two villagers, while a search is on for a few others who are absconding.

Modi Slams Cow Vigilantism

This attack happened only a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the gau rakshaks who he said “turned criminal by night”.

After Modi’s statement against cow vigilantism, ultra right-wing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) warned Modi about the consequences of his statement.

The Prime Minister has hurt the sentiments of <i>gau rakshaks</i>, he will have to pay for it in the next Lok Sabha polls. Our <i>gau rakshaks</i> are sacrificing their lives to save cows and Modi ji has termed them criminals who run shops. This is not fair and the VHP condemns this statement.

Sunil Parashar, VHP vice-president, Braj

Una Violence

Only a month ago, four young Dalit men were thrashed in front of a crowd in Una, Gujarat by self-styled cow vigilantes, for doing their job of skinning a dead cow.

Following the brutal assault, Dalits dumped cow carcasses in government offices on Tuesday, asking ‘Gau Rakshak’ groups to dispose of the dead cows – a traditionally Dalit occupation.

The incident caused an uproar in both Houses of the Parliament and elicited a much awaited response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Also Read:
For a Nervous and Angry Modi, the Cow Is Now a Political Animal
India’s Food Debate Needs to Go Beyond Cow Politics, Tackle Ethics
Gau Raksha, Manuvadi Mindset: BJP’s Recipe for Electoral Disaster