NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was reported on Sunday to be angry with party men for publicly endorsing the lynching of a Muslim man by Hindutva cow worshippers, but the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) foiled the damage control move and claimed the Vedas supported death penalty for killing a cow.

NDTV channel said Mr Modi is “angry” with party leaders who made incendiary statements in the aftermath of the Dadri killing and party chief Amit Shah pulled up those involved.

Take a look: Modi calls Muslim's murder over beef 'unfortunate'

Those Mr Shah summoned included Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma, party lawmaker Sangeet Som and controversial party leaders Sakshi Maharaj and Sanjay Baliyan, NDTV said. The leaders’ words had triggered controversy, with 42 authors returning their Sahitya Akademi Awards, blaming the mood of “intolerance” in the country.

The leaders, however, maintained it was a routine engagement. “I came to discuss regional issues and was not asked for any clarification,” said Sakshi Maharaj. But when pressed about the agenda, he added, “Every action has a reaction, I had taken action so there was a reaction”.

On Saturday, key Modi ally Shiromani Akali Dal that rules the Punjab state had demanded that the party leadership take strict action against those who made “irresponsible statements” on Dadri.

On Sept 28, a 52-year-old Muslim man was lynched by a mob in Dadri over rumours of cow slaughter and beef consumption. Forensic tests later proved that the meat found stored in his home was mutton and not beef.

But in the aftermath of the incident, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma described the lynching as an “accident”. Party lawmaker Sangeet Som had visited Dadri where he claimed that “cow killers” were rescued by the Akhilesh Yadav government. Mr Khattar was quoted as saying that Muslims here must give up beef and Sakshi Maharaj had demanded death penalty for cow slaughter.

On the other hand, the RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, in its cover story, has said that the killing of Mohammad Iqlakh could not have been “without reason” and even the “Vedas mandate killing of those who slaughter cows”.

An article in the RSS organ said, “The Vedas order killing of anyone who slaughters the cow. Cow slaughter is a big issue for the Hindu community. For many of us it’s a question of life and death.”

The article also questioned Indian writers who were returning their awards as a protest against the lynching incident.

“You [the writers] did not see the cow slaughter by Iqlakh. You didn’t see the fact that none of the media reports on Dadri mentioned any personal enmity of anyone with Iqlakh. Dadri village has never even seen any communal tension. One could have believed Iqlakh’s death to be without reason but then we have the Newton’s law of every action inviting an equal and opposite reaction.”

The article further asks the writers why they “fail to question the social mindset which encouraged Mohammad Iqlakh to commit a crime”.

Muslims were Hindus some generations back, the article said. “Who has taught converted Indians to spit on their own culture and values? After all, all Indian Muslims, including Iqlakh, were Hindus until few generations ago…How did these converts become as hateful as to turn cow killers from cow protectors?”

Subsequently, an RSS spokesman reportedly claimed the party mouthpiece didn’t always represent RSS’ views. He said RSS slammed the Dadri violence.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2015

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