Cow vigilantism: No mobocracy can be allowed, says petitioner

Hours after Supreme Court gave its verdict on pleas seeking directions to formulate guidelines to curb cow vigilantism, the petitioner in violence by vigilante groups case Tehseen Poonawalla on Tuesday said that no mobocracy can be allowed.

"The Supreme Court has said that it is the duty of the states to ensure inclusive social order, no mobocracy can be allowed," Poonawalla told reporters here.

The court earlier in the day asked Parliament to see whether a new law can be framed to combat the menace of cow vigilantism. It also underscored that violence can't be allowed in the name of cow vigilantism.

"No citizen can take law into their own hands. In case of fear and anarchy, the state has to act positively. Violence can't be allowed," said apex court during the hearing.

The court will hear the matter next on August 28.

Meanwhile, Salim, brother of a 45-year-old man who was lynched in Hapur a month back, said: "We were confident that the Supreme Court would give us justice. No one should be killed in the name of cow smuggling".

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on July 3 reserved its verdict on pleas by social activist Tehseen Poonawalla and Tushar Gandhi, who prayed to the court to initiate contempt against states that failed to take measures to combat cow vigilantism.

The bench had also termed cow vigilantism as 'unacceptable' and stated that mob lynching is 'beyond law and order problem'.

Tushar Gandhi had also filed a contempt plea against some states, accusing them of not enforcing the earlier orders of the court.

Article 256 of the Constitution, which spells the obligation of States and the Union, provides that the Centre could give necessary directions to the States in a given situation, but the Centre had said it could issue advisories to the states as law and order was a state subject.

The apex court had in September last year, directed all the state governments and union territories to take active steps to put a full stop to the violence in the name of cow protection and asked them to designate special officers who would keep a strong vigil on the 'vigilante groups'.