Modi says killing people in the name of cow worship is unacceptable

There is no place for violence in society, he said

Killing people in the name of protecting cows is unacceptable, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said days after a 16-year-old youth was lynched in a train in Faridabad by a mob over allegations that he was carrying beef.

Speaking from Gujarat's Sabarmati Ashram, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi asserted that there was no place for violence in society.

Urging citizens to follow Gandhi's principles, he said: "Let's create the India of Mahatma Gandhi's dreams. Let's create an India our freedom fighters would be proud of."

He advised the masses to refrain from disrupting law and order by saying, "No one has the right to take the law into his or her hands."

Speaking of Gandhi, who pioneered the practice of non-violent politics during India's freedom struggle against Britain, Modi said: "Thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi have the power to mitigate challenges the world is facing today."

The Prime Minister's remarks come against the backdrop of growing incidents of cow vigilantism in the country. Modi arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning to mark the centenary celebrations of the Sabarmati Ashram, where an event was scheduled to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Shrimad Rajchandraji- a mentor to Gandhi- as well. 

Thousands of people across the country had on Wednesday taken to the streets in a citizens' protest named 'Not in My Name' against the recent incidents of mob killings.

Holding placards that read: "Break the Silence", "No Place for Islamophobia" and "Shed Hate not Blood" among others, the protesters had said they had gathered to send out a message that there is a need to unite for a cause.