On March 18, members of the far-right Bajrang Dal and cow vigilantes assaulted two Muslim men in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, accusing them of smuggling cows. A video surfaced showing the men being beaten while their faces were covered, with the attackers forcing them to chant, “Gau hamari matha hai, gau rakshaks hamara baap” (Cows are our mothers, cow protectors are our fathers).
The person filming the assault questioned the possibility of communal harmony, asking, “How do you expect us (Hindus) to foster communal brotherhood with people like them?” The incident has sparked widespread outrage.
Cow vigilantism in India has been increasing over the past decade, particularly in states governed by the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These attacks often target minorities, especially Muslims.
However, in February this year, a disturbing incident occurred in Palwal district, Haryana, where cow vigilantes assaulted two individuals from the Hindu community. The victims, a truck driver and a conductor, were accused of smuggling cows.
Driver Balkishan and conductor Sandeep were transporting cattle in a pickup truck from Rajasthan to Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. However, they lost direction and sought help from the emergency police station.
According to driver Balkishan, who survived, one of the police personnel, identified as driver Ranveer Singh, made them open the truck. “The police driver made us open our truck and inspected the cows and checked the documents. After that, the police handed us over to three unknown people and left the place,” Balkishan alleged.
The driver and his conductor were brutally assaulted by the men with lathis, swords, and hammers, causing multiple fractures and stab injuries. Later, the attackers threw the two in a deep canal, leaving them to die.
The brutal assault led to the conductor’s death, highlighting the alarming rise of such violence and the dangerous implications of vigilante justice in the country. This case underscores the growing tension and intolerance. — With Agencies Inputs
This story was originally published in muslimmirror.com.