We don't support cow vigilantism: Government to Supreme Court

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it does not support cow vigilantism, adding that action against perpetrators was the job of the state governments, since law and order is a state subject. Arguing for the Centre, Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar told the Bench, headed by Justice Dipak Misra, "...the Centre does not have any role in it. However, no vigilante group has any space in the country as per the law. The Centre does not support any kind of vigilantism," Kumar said.

The Bench, also comprising AM Khanwilkar and MM Shantanagoudar, said, "You say that law and order is a state subject and states are taking actions as per law. You don't protect any kind of vigilantism." The court also asked the Centre and states to take steps to remove related violent content uploaded on social media, while seeking the response of the Centre and the state governments to acts of violence in four weeks.

The Centre's submissions come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comment on Sunday that states must take stringent action against those violating the law in the name of cow protection. The PM's comment had come a day before the start of Parliament's Monsoon Session that has since been rocked over the issue.

The Gujarat and Jharkhand governments also informed the top court that they have taken appropriate action against cow vigilantes. The replies came after directions from the court which is hearing social activist Tehseen Poonawala's petition that seeks action from the Centre and states against the so-called gau rakshaks. The matter will be heard next on September 6.

The PM's comment on Sunday was the latest in a string of similar remarks made against the backdrop of cases of cow vigilantism and mob frenzy.

Last month, he said in Gujarat that killing people in the name of 'gau bhakti' was not acceptable, a remark that came amid outrage over a 16-year-old's lynching on a running Delhi-Mathura train by a mob that called him a 'beef-eater'.

President Pranab Mukherjee followed the PM early this month, and said that when mob frenzy becomes so high, irrational and uncontrollable, "we have to pause and reflect".

The PM had used his first-ever townhall in August last year to deliver a lacerating statement, saying "most of these people are anti-social elements hiding behind the mask of gau rakshaks".

"I get so angry at those who are into the gau-rakshak business. A gau-bhakt is different, gau-seva is different. I have seen that some people are into crimes all night and wear the garb of gau-rakshaks in the day," PM Modi had said, answering a question at the interactive session.