Urban Mirror

Urban Mirror Correspondent

Lucknow June 24: The former Secretary Government of India and national president Lok Gathbandhan Party (LGP) Vijay Shankar Pandey today strongly condemned the cow vigilants who have killed one person in Hapur and critically injured another old man. Mr Pandey said the incident also amply indicated fast deteriorating law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Pandey has also demanded highly level judicial probe into the incident so that criminals could be punished.

Mr Pandey in a statement here on Sunday criticised the UP police for twisting the issue by claiming that it was a case of road rage and not mob lynching of Qasim, 45, on June 18 accusing him of cow slaughter. Mr Pandey expressed shock and dismay over the video of Samayuddin, 65, in Madapur village being badly beaten up by cow vigilants who are running amok in several parts of the state. Mr Pandey said the cow vigilants had assaulted two men Qasim and Samayuddin, while Qasim died, Samayuddin is battling for life in hospital. The family members of Qasim have also rejected the claim of UP that it was case of road rage.

Mr Pandey said the way criminals dragged Qasim in the presence of the police indicated total failure of the law and order machinery in the state. Mr Pandey said the police have become mute spectators to the activities of these criminals. Mr Pandey said the police seem to have failed to take any lesson from the lynching of Akhlaq in Dadri in 2015 where mob dragged him out of house and killed.    

Mr Pandey assailed the state government for failing to control rising communal forces, which has caused consternation in the minority community in UP. Mr Pandey said the targeting of members of minority community is aimed at further communalising the political atmosphere before the parliamentary elections. Mr Pandey said the state has been facing communal onslaught frequently for the last more than a year with several reports of killing by the cow vigilant and other issues.

Mr Pandey said prevailing hostile and prejudiced atmosphere in the country during the last few years, which has assumed menacing proportion in BJP-ruled states, has tarnished the democratic image of the country and for political reasons, fanatical forces inimical to free speech, art and culture are being propped up by vested interest. He said cow vigilants are rampant in several parts of the country. Mr Pandey has thus called upon the peaceful and freedom loving- people to counter these forces for the larger interest of the country, as there are many more pressing and essential issues which deserved attention and solution.