Strong advisories issued to all state govt: Rijiju on lynching cases

Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Monday said that the Centre has issued strong advisories to all state governments in connection with recent lynching cases.

"Indian Government has sent strong advisories to all state governments. Lynching issue has been taken up very seriously; no leniency in terms of action will be there," Rijiju told media here.

"We want all the state government to act on it (lynching case). There are court observations also for which government is taking important steps," he added.

On a related note, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sought a report from Rajasthan Government over the Alwar lynching incident.

Earlier in the day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had said that the Alwar lynching incident shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brutal 'New India'. He had also slammed the Rajasthan Police for allegedly making delays in taking 28-year-old Akbar Khan, the victim of mob lynching, to the hospital.

"Policemen in #Alwar took 3 hrs to get a dying Rakbar Khan, the victim of a lynch mob, to a hospital just 6 KM away. Why? They took a tea-break enroute. This is Modi's brutal "New India" where humanity is replaced with hatred and people are crushed and left to die," Rahul tweeted.

On the intervening night of July 20-21, Khan was allegedly beaten to death by an agitated mob on suspicions of cow smuggling in Alwar district.

The Supreme Court will on August 20 hear a plea seeking contempt action against three states namely Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh government in connection with Alwar lynching case.

The court will also hear a plea filed by Congress leader Tehseen Poonawalla in the case on the same date.

As of now, two people have been arrested in the matter.