No matter how many times Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls for an inclusive democracy where people of all faiths live in harmony, the minority community continues to face wrath of the majoritarian sentiments over beef.
In the latest of the series of attacks on them, one man was lynched while three others were injured over rumours that they were 'consuming beef'. The chilling incident, which brought alive the memory of the lynching of one Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri in UP in September 2015, happened in on board a moving train near Tughlaqabad area of Delhi. The train was heading for Ballabhgarh in Haryana.
It was reported that four individuals from the minority community had gone to Delhi for Eid shopping and returning. It was then a group of men had embarked on the train and asked the five to vacate their seats. When they resisted, they were reportedly abused and the altercation turned worse, resulting in physical attacks.
The attackers, some of whom were carrying knives, were many in number and they thrashed the four mercilessly, resulting in the death of one among them on the spot. The others were hospitalisedwith injuries. They later said neither the CRPF jawans nor the police came to their rescue despite efforts made by them to seek help.
Horrific tale on train
These four victims were preliminarily identified as Moin, Junaid, Hashim & Shakir from Khandavali village in Ballabgarh, Haryana. They had repordtely come to Delhi for shopping ahead of Eid and were returning home. Junaid succumbed to his injuries.
Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu condemned the incident saying people should not take law into their own hands. "The law and order enforcing agencies must identify who are the people responsible and take strongest possible action as per the provisions of the law," he said.
In September 2015, Mohammad Akhlaq, 52, and his family were attacked on charges of keeping beef in their house refrigerator. Akhlaq was lynched by the mob while his son was badly injured. Such instances have been repeatedly happening in various parts of the country and even though the government has been promising strong action against them, there is no sign of them subsiding.
