Don’t turn Hindustan into lynchistan, says Opposition

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Monday saw fiery exchanges between the ruling BJP and the Opposition, which staged a walkout during a four-hour discussion on mob lynchings.

With the Opposition demanding a governmental condemnation and framing of a strong law to tackle vigilantism, the government said that mob lynching or anything related to it was “unacceptable” and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had condemned it.

Claiming that the NDA government was against minorities, dalits and women, Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress started the discussion by saying, “This is Hindustan, don’t make it lynchistan.”

Accusing Sangh Parivar organisations like the VHP and the Bajrang Dal of being involved in such violence, the Congress leader said: “It is also being done so that your ideology and philosophy could be established in the country”. The BJP countered the Opposition’s allegation by shouting slogans.

Sougata Roy of Trinamul Congress quoted the findings of a magazine and claimed that between 2010-2017 there have been 63 incidents of mob violence in the name of cow protection. He demanded a separate law — “Manav Suraksha Kanoon” (human protection law) — to deal with lynchings.

Minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju said it is the responsibility of state governments to deal with such crimes.

“How is it possible for the Centre (to intervene in a state subject)? Does the Opposition want the Prime Minister to break the federal structure and the Centre to take over?” he asked.

Unhappy with the minister’s reply, the Congress, the Left and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen staged a walkout.

Accusing the opposition of “selective amnesia”, the minister earlier said an environment has been created in the country that there is intolerance and no freedom of expression. “There is freedom of expression, but we will not spare anyone who will insult the country,” he said.

He said the highest number of incidents of communal violence in 2015 took place in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Telangana and Karnataka. In 2016, Uttar Pradesh again reported the highest number of cases of communal violence, followed by West Bengal and Kerala, he added.

Jayadev Galla of theTDP said that mob violence represents the breakdown of law and order.

Mohammed Salim of the CPI(M)) said nothing will happen by merely criticising the incidents and urged for efforts to establish peace.