MoS Ahir condemns Alwar incident, says 'don't support such violence'

Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Wednesday condemning the incident in Alwar, Rajasthan, in which a Muslim was killed over suspicion of cow smuggling and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) doesn't support any such violence.

"We do not support such incidents. One should respect and protect the holy cow. We do not support any such violence," Ahir told ANI.

Resonating similar sentiments, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury said that private institutions should not be involved in such acts and take the law in their hands.

"We condemn such incidents. There are a number of states that have laws for the protection of cow. If such laws are broken then there are number of government institutions to punish the guilty," Yechury told ANI.

Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria has shockingly defended the lynch mob - describing them as Gau Bhakts (cow protectors) - and blamed the victims.

"The cow protectors have done a good job by protecting cows from smuggling. But they have violated the law by beating people brutally," he told ANI.

"The police had stopped few vehicles that were carrying cows. Some of them fled. The cow protectors caught them, drove the smugglers out and beat them," he added.

Earlier on Monday, five men were beaten up and their vehicle was vandalised by vigilantes over suspicion of cow smuggling in Alwar.

The incident took place on NH 8. A Muslim man succumbed to his injuries three days after the incident.