“Gau Raksha” – vigilantes creating havoc in the name of religion is causing loss of lives and now Ministers are not only unable to handle the situation, but are also messing up on their TV interviews.

Terming the fatal attack on a farmer in Alwar, after he was returning from Jaipur after purchasing cows for his dairy as Manhandling, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria walked out of an interview by national channel NDTV 3 days ago.

Pehlu Khan,  a 55 year old farmer was attacked when he, along with his family members was returning from Jaipur after purchasing cows from Jaipur.  They were attacked by cow vigilantes near Alwar and Pehlu Khan succumbed to his injuries, a few days after being attacked.  Home Minister Kataria termed this attack as Manhandling, saying that the victim died four days later and not immediately.  A hilarious argument from an elected public representative.

On being asked to explain the trivialization of murder, the Minister took of his mike and walked out, muttering “nonsense”.

The police, having clarified the status after seeing the receipts of purchase, have arrested 3 people from the attacking team and the others are still absconding.  It is shocking that form the 10 named as accused, a few are members of the group that got attacked!

Kataria, oblivious of the facts, and perhaps trying to beat around the bush, said that those attacked were smuggling cows, and thus they were attacked – seemingly unaware of the fact that police had got the documents as proof of purchase from a Pashu mela (Cattle Fair) in Jaipur and the case was certainly not of smuggling.  Even after being reminded by the interviewer about the status, the Minister still said that, “Smuggling of cows is a crime in Rajasthan, which is why a case has been filed against them. We have filed a case against the other party too, for manhandling those transporting cows”.

When the interviewer pointed out that it was murder and not manhandling, the Minister said that the victim died four days later and not on the spot.  He had said earlier that the lynch mod were Gau Bhakts (cow protectors).  The FIR and police complaint however said that the attackers were from the RSS and VHP, who are the ideological mentors of the ruling BJP.

Kataria then explained that people cannot take the law into their own hands and cases have been filed against both parties – one for smuggling cows for slaughter and the other for lynching the first party.

Source: www.ndtv.com