Sharad Yadav seeks judicial probe into lynching incidents

Former Union minister Sharad Yadav hit out at the BJP today over incidents of mob lynching, saying Muslims were often the victims in these cases and this underscored the agenda of "Hindu-Muslim divide" of the organisations affiliated to the saffron party.

He demanded a judicial probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into such incidents.

"No one is going to believe the government on mob lynching, because this has become the order of the day under it. Such incidents have been increasing in the BJP-ruled states, in spite of the assurances given by the government in and outside Parliament," Yadav said in a statement.

The people of the country were not even familiar with the word "lynching", but it had now become a household term, he added.

On a recent case of mob lynching in Alwar district of Rajasthan, Yadav alleged that those involved were the so-called "gau rakshaks" (cow protectors) affiliated to the ruling party.