The government is not mulling a separate law to tackle incidents of mob lynching, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed Parliament on Wednesday. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour, Ahir said that whether a lynching is done by a single person or by several persons, the existing laws can deal with it.
"The state governments can take action against person or persons involved in such incidents under existing laws. I don't think there is a need for a separate law," Ahir said.
The minister was responding to a supplementary question by Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who asked if the central government was planning to modify the CrPC and IPC to deal with mob lynching in the name of cow protection which he said was "emerging as a trend now".
The minister said the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain a separate data of killings in the name of cow protection. Stressing that law and order was a state subject, Ahir said Home Minister Rajnath Singh had already issued an advisory to all the states to take prompt action in cases of cow vigilantism and nab the culprits.
Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal, who had asked the primary question on cow vigilantism, accused "BJP people" of involvement in such incidents. Ahir objected to the reference to BJP cadres in this connection.
Not satisfied with the Minister's reply, Samajwadi Party MPs walked up to the Chairman's podium and shouted slogans.
"Gau raksha ke naam pe hatya, nahi chalegi (Killings in the name of cow protection won't be accepted)," they shouted in a chorus as other opposition members stood up at their desks.
Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House for 10 minutes amidst sloganeering.
