Killing people in name of cow not acceptable, Gandhi won't approve: PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat
On the first day of his 2-day Gujarat visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram where he strongly criticised cow vigilante attacks.
In Short
- PM Modi slams self-proclaimed cow vigilante groups.
- We are the land of non-violence, PM Modi said in Sabarmati.
- PM Modi has been criticised for not condemning cow vigilante attacks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally broken his silence over several cow vigilante attacks that the country has witnessed in the past few months. In a strong message to cow vigilantes, a visibly charged up PM Modi invoked Mahatma Gandhi to slam those involved in violence in the name of protecting cows.
Speaking at a public event after visiting the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, PM Modi said, "Killing people in the name of gau bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something Mahatma Gandhi would approve. We are the land of non-violence. We are the land of Mahatma Gandhi. Why do we forget this."
HERE'S WHAT PM MODI SAID:
- As a society, there is no place for violence. Today, I want to say a few words and express sadness on some of the things going on.
- No one spoke about protecting cows more than Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave. Yes. It should be done.
- We are the land of non-violence. We are the land of Mahatma Gandhi. Why do we forget this?
- No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands. Violence never has and never will solve any problem.
- Let's all work together. Let's create the India of Mahatma Gandhi's dreams. Let's create an India our freedom fighters would be proud of.
Five people including two Delhi government employees were arrested on Wednesday days after a Muslim teen was beaten to death in a train while he was returning home to his village in Haryana following Eid shopping in Delhi.
Junaid Khan, his brother and cousins were attacked by a group of at least 20 people who accused them of carrying beef. They also hurled religious slurs at Junaid, 16, and his brothers.
On Tuesday, a 200-strong mob attacked a Muslim man and tried to torch his house after a dead cow was found outside in Jharkhand's Giridih district. The police was forced to open fire to control the violent mob.
NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME
This is not for the first time PM Modi has admonished cow vigilantes.
The Prime Minister had come down heavily on the gau-rakshaks last year in the wake of numerous attacks on Dalits in the name of cow vigilantism. Lashing out at them, Narendra Modi, while addressing a townhall meet in the national capital in August 2016, had said that pseudo-gau-rakshaks were indulging in anti-social activities.
PM Modi had said these so-called gau-rakshaks, who claimed to be protectors during the day, often resorted to criminal activities at night. Expressing his anger against such people, he had said they had opened shops in the name of gau-raksha.
The Prime Minister had said some people indulged in anti-social activities but in the morning, they became gau-rakshaks. Sending a stern message against cow vigilantism, Modi had urged the states to open dossiers to see how many of them were criminals.
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WATCH: PM Modi breaks silence over gau bhakti lynching, says violence will not solve problem