RAMPUR: In view of intense political bickering over the Alwar lynching incident, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has appealed to the members of his community to stay away from cow for their own safety. Reacting to several provocative statements made by right-wing outfits and politicians in the aftermath of the Alwar lynching incident, the SP leader urged the Muslims to stay away from dairy business and cow trading for ''the safety of their upcoming generations.''


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"My request to Muslims who are in dairy business and cow trading is to stop it for the safety of their upcoming generations. At a time when some politicians are saying that one must face dire consequences of just touching a cow, Muslims should stay away from such trade," Khan said.


Remarks from the SP leader – a prominent Muslim face of the party – came days after a 28-year-old man identified as Rakbar Khan aka Akbar was allegedly beaten to death by a mob on suspicion of cow smuggling in Rajasthan's Alwar district in the intervening night of July 20-21.


The post-mortem report said that Khan died of "shock as a result of ante-mortem (before death) injuries sustained over the body."


The autopsy further stated that the 28-year-old victim suffered 13 injuries in total, including eight bruises, two abrasions, a laceration, a fracture in the wrist and another in left femur.


The Alwar Police has also come under attack for wasting several hours in rushing the victim to a nearby hospital, which was just 6-km away from the incident site. 


Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, who vowed strict action against the culprits, suggested that the Alwar lynching incident looked like a case of custodial death.


The minister, who met the victim's family, further said that they are satisfied with the action that has been taken so far. 


"I met the victim's family and they told me that they are satisfied with the action taken so far. I told them to come and meet me whenever they want if they want to tell me something more," Kataria told news agency ANI.


Kataria too blamed the police for wasting time who first send the cows to cow-shed and then took the lynching victim to the hospital. He said that the life of the victim - Akbar Khan - could have been saved, had the police acted in a responsive way.


Last year in April, a 50-year-old Pehlu Khan was beaten to death by cow vigilantes in the same district triggering a national outrage.


Condemning the growing incidents of mob lynching across the country, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on Tuesday said that the Centre is deeply concerned and even ready to make a new law over the issue.


As per the figures provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs, at least 45 people were killed in 40 different cases of mob lynching across nine states between 2014 and 3 March this year.


(With ANI inputs)