Alwar-lynching: After RaGa's attack, BJP calls him "Merchant of Hate"
Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi lashed out at PM Narendra Modi today, blaming him for a "brutal 'New India' where humanity is replaced with hatred and people are crushed and left to die." He was reacting to reports that cops delayed taking the Alwar lynching victim to hospital due to frivolous reasons. Hitting back, BJP accused the "Merchant of Hate" of playing divisive politics.
The Congress president tweets
Rakbar's friend, who accompanied him to Alwar, narrates what happened
According to Aslam, he and his friend Rakbar were visiting Lalavandi village in Alwar to buy two cows. After reaching Lalavandi, they bought the cows and started the journey back home. Suddenly, some locals started shouting about cow smugglers. Aslam managed to escape, but Rakbar, who was holding the cows, was trapped. The men fired guns first and then beat him till cops arrived.
FIR said police took victim to hospital directly
The FIR mentions that police received the first call about the incident at 12:41am. When police reached the crime scene, Rakbar was injured and muddied. They washed him, questioned him briefly, and then directly took him to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead.
But witnesses allege there were many stops in between
Witnesses have a different account. VHP member Naval Sharma, who was accompanying police, told IE their first stop after picking up Rakbar was to arrange a three-wheeler to transport the cows. The cops then started for the police-station, but stopped for tea on the way. When Sharma finally reached the station, Rakbar had collapsed. Medical records showed his body was brought in at 4am.
Aren't Dalits, Adivasis, minorities a part of our country?: RaGa
The issue of rising incidents of mob lynching shook the parliament during the no-confidence debate Friday. Questioning Modi's silence, Gandhi had said, "There are reports of attacks on Dalits, Adivasis, minorities. Aren't they a part of our country? Instead, (BJP) ministers go and garland convicts." "Killing of people on 'suspicion' is sadly becoming a norm in BJP-ruled states," said Rajasthan Congress Chief Sachin Pilot.
Stop jumping with joy every time a crime happens: Goyal
Responding, Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said to the "Merchant of Hate," "Stop jumping with joy every time a crime happens. You divide the society in every manner possible for electoral gains & then shed crocodile tears." Union Minister Smriti Irani described his politics as "vulture politics." "Not a single instance goes by where he doesn't attempt to rupture social bonds for electoral gains."
