More popular Modi becomes, more lynchings will happen, says Union minister

Alluding that detractors are trying to defame the central government, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday said that more lynching incidents will happen with the rise in popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meghwal was reacting to the incident of a group of people allegedly killing a man in Rajasthan's Alwar over suspicion of cow smuggling.

"The more popular Modi ji becomes, the more such incidents will happen. In Bihar election, it was 'Award Wapsi', in Uttar Pradesh elections, it was mob lynching. In 2019 elections, it will be something else. Prime Minister Modi gave several schemes, their effects can be seen, this (lynching) incident is just one reaction to it," Meghwal said.

The minister termed the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 as the biggest case of mob lynching in India.

"We condemn mob-lynching but this isn't a single incident. You have to trace this back in history. Why does this happen? Who should stop this? What happened with Sikhs in 1984 was the biggest mob lynching of this nation's history," he said.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje condemned the latest incident of cow vigilantism, and assured stern action against the perpetrators.

"The incident of alleged lynching of a person transporting bovines in Alwar district is condemnable. Strictest possible action shall be taken against the perpetrators," Raje tweeted.

Akbar Khan, 28, was taking some cows to his village through a forest near Lalawandi area in the Alwar distrcit of Rajasthan when some locals allegedly thrashed him brutally, suspecting him to be a cow smuggler.

The police immediately rushed the victim to a nearby hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Police have, so far, arrested two suspects and launched a manhunt for other suspects.

In a similar incident, 50-year-old Pehlu Khan was beaten to death by cow vigilantes in the same district in April last year.

Just on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged state governments to take stringent action against the culprits of mob lynching.

The cases of mob fury have been on a rise in India.

According to the ministry of home affairs, 45 persons were killed by mob in 40 cases across nine states between 2014 and March 3 this year.