Lynching debate: Issue should not be given political colour, violence can never be partisan, says Arun Jaitley

The Opposition on Thursday targeted the government over the lynchings, with the Congress accusing PM Modi of indulging in "double speak" on the issue.

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Delhi: Reacting to Opposition's charge, who on Thursday targeted the government over the lynchings, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said in Rajya Sabha that the issue should not be given a political colour.

"This issue should not be given political colour. Violence can never be a partisan issue," Jaitley said.

Jaitley further said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh have already condemned incidents of taking the law in their hands in name of 'Gau Raksha'.

"Action has been taken in all such incidents in a systematic manner and arrests were also made. All those, against whom evidence is going to be found, are going to be charge-sheeted and then prosecuted for the offences," he added, as per ANI.

The Congress today accused PM Modi of "creating such an environment" and indulging in "double speak" on the issue.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal, while speaking in the Rajya Sabha on lynchings, alleged that the PM was doing nothing to restrain cow vigilantes who, he said, include elements from VHP and Bajrang Dal.

He was participating in a discussion on the 'situation arising out of the reported increase in the incidents of lynching and arocities on minorities and dalits across the country' which started yesterday.

Sibal said the year 2017 has witnessed maximum murders and the cattle ban had negatively impacted leather industry besides industries like soap and shampoo.

"I am shaken and shattered by the images of grotesque violence and heart-wrenching scenes (which) I have seen on social media and Twitter. We did not see it in the last 50 years," he said.

He went on to question, "What is the sentiment behind it? Why 97 percent of the violence has taken place after 2017?"

Targeting the Prime Minister, he said it was PM Modi who had "provoked" such sentiments and quoted his three speeches on October 8, 2015, August 6, 2016 and June 29,2017.

Sibal said paradoxically in one of the speeches, the PM had said that some people were involved in the crime during night and during the day they converted into 'gaurakshaks' but no action was taken against such people.

"It is the PM whose statement is different during night and different during day... It is PM who is creating such environment. It is better to stop double speak and come clean," the Congress leader said, as per PTI.

He said the PM should not just quote Mahatma Gandhi but follow him in letter and spirit.

On the other hand, raising a point of order, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Sibal should authenticate three statements of the PM which he quoted, else these should be expunged.

Naresh Gujral (SAD), while participating in the debate, urged the members to refrain from giving political colour to incidents in a land where Buddha and Mahavir spread the message of tolerance.

Asserting that goondaism cannot be tolerated, he said the governemnt could talk to the Chief Justice of India for creating special court for speedy trial of lynching cases, which amounted to acts like 'terrorism'.

He said it was time that this 'madness' was brought to an end as people are becoming reluctant to come and invest in India in such an atmosphere.

Attacking the government, Sharad Yadav (JDU) said the incidents of lynching were more deadly than killings by Talibans and Afghans.

When religion overtakes poltics or vise versa, internal conflicts are created, he said and pointed towards Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria.

Yadav said, "it is unfortunate that such a condition has been created in the country that a student from JNU goes traceless, people are lynched in the name of cow and condition has become so bad that people are afraid of travelling in buses and trains."

He said BJP-ruled states were witnessing maximum cases of lynching. Such incidents occurred in 14 districts of Jharkhand, 11 districts of UP, 9 districts of Haryana, 5 districts of Rajasthan and 4 districts each of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, Yadav said.

(With Agency inputs)