SC Agrees to Examine Cow Vigilantism, Asks Govt to Appoint Lawyer

Weighing into the controversy over attacks by cow protection vigilantes across the country in the last few months, the Supreme Court has decided to examine the issue and asked the Government to appoint a lawyer to assist the court.

The apex court move came in response to 3 public interest litigations (PILs) that raised the issue of violence by self-styled “gau rakshaks” against minorities and dalits. The court also asked the copies of the petitions to be served to the state governments of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Jharkhand from where reports of such violence have been reported.

The next hearing in the case would be on November 7.

The increasing attacks by cow vigilantes had kicked up a storm in recent times with one incident in Una, Gujarat, even snowballing into a people’s movement. Prime Minister Narendra modi responded to the incident by categorizing many of the vigilantes as “anti-socials,” and asked the state governments affected to prepare a dossier.

“Gau rakshaks indulge in anti-social activities, cow vigilantism is just a ruse to hide their misdeeds,” he had said at a function to mark the second anniversary of the MyGov platform in August.

However, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seemed to sing a different tune when he took up the issue in his annual Vijayadashami speech early this month.

"Cow protectors perform an important role and it’s important to distinguish between those who protect the cow and others who are self-appointed,” he had said, which according to critics of the Sangh, showed the “gau rakshaks” were operating with the tacit nod of the ideological mothership of BJP.