UP CM Claims No Lynching in his Tenure: A Fact Check

Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh recently in an interview given to a national news channel claimed that there had not been any single incident of lynching in the state in his tenure while Akhlaq, who hailed from Dadri in Greater Noida was killed by a mob in the tenure of the former government, led by Akhilesh Yadav. 

We tried to fact check the claims made by Yogi Adityanath and found that contrary to the claim, Uttar Pradesh has actually witnessed a sudden spurt in the cases of cow related violence and is becoming the landmine of lynchings. The state has seen three major incidents of violence related to cow including one death due to lynching in last one month itself. 

Some Recent Cases

Recently, a man from the Balrampur district was brutally thrashed by the villagers when they suspected him that he was going to abandon his ill cow. But, the man was actually taking his cow to the veterinary clinic for treatment. 

According to the victim Kailash Nath Shukla, he was attacked by 'anti-social' elements while he was on his way to Juathan Srinagar (town), last week.

"I was on my way to the cow doctor but my cow started running towards the farm when we reached near Achanpur Nandnagar and I ran behind her. Seeing this a few villagers came and started thrashing and abusing me. I tried my best to make them understand that I was not going to abandon my cow but they were not ready to listen to me on any condition. Within few minutes, men from the entire village gathered at the site," Shukla said.

The 70-year-old victim further said that his head was tonsured, face blackened and he was garlanded with shoes and slippers.  

"I was then paraded in the entire village by the villagers with one of my hands tied to the rope of the cow and I was helpless.

They even alleged that I was going to sell my cow to a Muslim from the neighboring village. After doing all this, they pushed me into a roadside nullah," he said.

Shukla then reached the rural Kotwali (police station) to get his FIR registered but the police refused to register the complaint. Later, an FIR was registered on the orders of Balrampur Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Kumar. 

So far, the police have arrested four persons in this regard and have maintained their claim that the violence was not related to cow.

"The incident happened because a fight had ensued between Shukla and two of the villagers. We have ordered an inquiry against the policeman who refused to lodge the complaint and more arrests will be made. Shukla need not worry till the time I am here and I assure that justice will be done with Shukla," assured the district police chief. 

Earlier on last Sunday, cow vigilantes had thrashed two cattle traders inside Sarsaul police outpost in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh alleging that the traders were taking the cows for getting slaughtered. 

Victims Rashid and Abbas, recounting their horror said that they were stopped by a mob of around 20 people on the Maharajpur-Sarsaul highway, who were forcing them to say that they were taking the cows for getting slaughtered. 

"I am a milk trader as well and I was taking the cows to my home but then I was suspected as a cattle smuggler who was taking the cows for getting slaughtered. My driver and I were badly thrashed with canes and sticks inside the police outpost while the police acted as a mute spectator. I now fear that someday people will enter my house and kill me and my family for the same reasons," Rashid said.

Pradyuman Singh, SP Rural, says that no FIR has been registered in this regard as both the parties have given a written letter that they do not want any formal police action in this case. 

Normalisation of violence  

Dr. Tanu Dang, assistant professor at Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti University, says that placing of cows at sensitive areas seems plotted, and it looks like that the mob or cow vigilantes hide in the bushes and are always ready for the action.

"It looks like violence related to cows are getting normalised in our country and people are assuming it as legal. Also, due to lack of employment in our country people have no place to vent out their frustration and now the people have been diverted towards the issue of cow. I travel to and fro to Lucknow from Kanpur everyday and I feel scared that someday if my car accidentally touches a cow on road then the mob is not going to spare me," she says. 

She further said that the hatred on social media is also somewhere responsible in the rise of cow related violence in India. 
It may be mentioned that 2017 saw 37 cases of cattle related violence in India but 2018 is turning out to be the worst year. The anatomy of lynching suggests that post Akhlaq Khan's lynching Muslims are living in fear in India. 
  
About the author: Saurabh Sharma is a Lucknow based freelance journalist and member of 101reporters.com, a pan India network of grassroots reporters.