The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and six states a simple question, why shouldn’t gau-rakshak groups be banned? This is a perfectly valid question, especially amidst growing outrage over the violent means by which these ‘cow protectors’ go about their business. Only recently, a Muslim man was lynched in Rajasthan.
This question was in response to a petition filed by two Congress leaders, Tehseen and Shehzad Poonawalla. They petitioned for these groups to be declared illegal. So the SC asked six states, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Jharkhan “ all BJP ruled states, as well as Karnataka, which is run by the Congress, to reply. They also questioned the Centre, and set a May 3 date for the ruling.
The gau rakshaks started gaining precedence from 2014 onwards, perhaps emboldened by the fact that the BJP came to power. They claim to protect cows from being taken to slaughterhouses and are enforcing a ban on beef in their regions, almost always through violent means. Many groups even put violent videos up on social media.
Prime Minister Modi denounced these groups in 2016, stating that they are “destroying the society”, but to no avail. There is no reason why they should not be declared illegal. Their xenophobic attitude is indeed casting a dark cloud over India.
