Speaking out for the second time in two days against vigilantism in the name of cow protection, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday issued a call to “stop attacking Dalits”, saying “shoot me if you want, not Dalits”, and asked people to beware of “fake gau rakshaks” who “have a problem with the country’s unity” and “only want to destroy society”.
While the Prime Minister had criticised “gau rakshaks” during his town hall meeting on Saturday, it was for the first time that he was referring to the Dalit issue, which had ignited a nationwide debate following the flogging on July 11 of members of the community for skinning dead cattle in Gujarat’s Una.
Hours after the Prime Minister’s latest remarks, the RSS and the BJP issued separate statements on similar lines, condemning the gau rakshaks. While RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi condemned the “acts of a handful of such opportunistic persons”, BJP leader Sidharth Nath Singh referred to “what anti-social elements are doing in the name of gau rakshaks”
Earlier, addressing party workers in Hyderabad, Modi said, “I would like to tell these people that if you have any problem, if you have to attack, attack me. Stop attacking my Dalit brethren. If you have to shoot, shoot me, but not my Dalit brothers. This game should stop.”
Referring to incidents in which Dalits were assaulted by cow protection groups, drawing criticism from the international community and signalling the potential to damage the party’s chances in key state polls, the Prime Minister said such incidents caused him “unbearable pain”. “There are a few incidents that are very shameful. It is our duty to protect and respect the poor and Dalit people of our country,” he said.
“There are a few bad elements, shortcomings in our society. What right do we have to illtreat our Dalit brothers and sisters? We are the people who talk about ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)’ and if we cannot embrace our Dalit brothers and sisters, the world will not forgive us. We will have to strive hard to protect our nation from such anti-social elements, we will have to expose such people,” said Modi.
The Prime Minister’s remarks come on the weekend after the Opposition repeatedly demanded a statement from him on the Una flogging, stalling Parliament proceedings. The BJP’s Dalit MPs, too, had wanted the Prime Minister and the party’s leadership to speak out in strong terms against the incidents.
Earlier on Sunday, while addressing a public gathering in Telangana’s Gajwel to launch several development projects, Modi urged state governments to investigate “gau rakshaks who have nothing to do with the cow but want to create tension in society”.
“Those who want to destroy society, those who have trouble with the unity of the country, a handful of such people in the name of gau rakshaks are trying to create tension in society. I want to tell all my countrymen to beware of such fake gau rakshaks,” he said, adding “… these fake gau rakshaks have nothing to do with the cow, they just want to create tension in society. So I ask all state governments to investigate such gau rakshaks and take stern action.”
Then, in what is being seen as a message to his party and the RSS, Modi said: “At the same time, I want to bow to the real devotees, worshippers and servers of cow… you also remain alert, lest a handful people for their personal benefit destroy the great work that you have done. You must come forward to expose such people so that they are not successful in their designs.”
On Saturday, Modi had hit out at gau rakshaks for the first time, saying that most of them were “anti-social” elements who were running “shops” in the name of cow protection.
With many incidents of violence by gau rakshaks reported from BJP-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Prime Minister’s remarks is likely to be seen as a boost to the BJP’s attempts to woo the Dalit community ahead of key state elections, including in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab where they play a crucial role.
Party leaders have assessed that the perception of being anti-Dalit will hit the party badly - the Una fallout triggered a change of leadership in Gujarat.
Taking its cue from the Prime Minister, the BJP, which appeared caught between the push to woo Dalits and retain its ideological base, endorsed his call. BJP leader Singh said in a statement that “there cannot be more direct censure by the Prime Minister in expressing displeasure to what anti-social elements are doing in the name of gau rakshaks”.
At least five people have been killed in 16 major incidents of cow vigilantism across eight states in north India over the last few months, while dozens were beaten and publicly humiliated by such groups.
Many of the attacks were linked to the VHP, but the RSS appeared to distance itself from such attacks, with Joshi saying that “some anti-social elements of society have been taking the law in their hands in the name of gau raksha, and trying to disrupt harmony by acts of violence… It can make the sacred task of gau raksha and gau seva look suspect”.
In the first statement on this issue from the Sangh, Joshi said that the “RSS urges countrymen to expose the condemnable acts of a handful of such opportunistic persons, and not to link them with people involved in the sacred duty of gau raksha”.
Echoing the Prime Minister’s remarks, Joshi said: “We also urge state governments to take legal action against such elements and do not let the true act of gau raksha and gau seva be disrupted.”
What Joshi said in public had been stated by several RSS ideologues in internal meetings over the last fortnight. Sources said that the Sangh decided to distance itself from gau rakshaks because they are being viewed as “torchbearers of the upper caste” and “RSS mentality”. It was also felt that the gau rakshaks would hamper the Dalit outreach of the Sangh.
While the Prime Minister had criticised “gau rakshaks” during his town hall meeting on Saturday, it was for the first time that he was referring to the Dalit issue, which had ignited a nationwide debate following the flogging on July 11 of members of the community for skinning dead cattle in Gujarat’s Una.
Hours after the Prime Minister’s latest remarks, the RSS and the BJP issued separate statements on similar lines, condemning the gau rakshaks. While RSS general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi condemned the “acts of a handful of such opportunistic persons”, BJP leader Sidharth Nath Singh referred to “what anti-social elements are doing in the name of gau rakshaks”
Earlier, addressing party workers in Hyderabad, Modi said, “I would like to tell these people that if you have any problem, if you have to attack, attack me. Stop attacking my Dalit brethren. If you have to shoot, shoot me, but not my Dalit brothers. This game should stop.”
Referring to incidents in which Dalits were assaulted by cow protection groups, drawing criticism from the international community and signalling the potential to damage the party’s chances in key state polls, the Prime Minister said such incidents caused him “unbearable pain”. “There are a few incidents that are very shameful. It is our duty to protect and respect the poor and Dalit people of our country,” he said.
“There are a few bad elements, shortcomings in our society. What right do we have to illtreat our Dalit brothers and sisters? We are the people who talk about ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family)’ and if we cannot embrace our Dalit brothers and sisters, the world will not forgive us. We will have to strive hard to protect our nation from such anti-social elements, we will have to expose such people,” said Modi.
The Prime Minister’s remarks come on the weekend after the Opposition repeatedly demanded a statement from him on the Una flogging, stalling Parliament proceedings. The BJP’s Dalit MPs, too, had wanted the Prime Minister and the party’s leadership to speak out in strong terms against the incidents.
Earlier on Sunday, while addressing a public gathering in Telangana’s Gajwel to launch several development projects, Modi urged state governments to investigate “gau rakshaks who have nothing to do with the cow but want to create tension in society”.
“Those who want to destroy society, those who have trouble with the unity of the country, a handful of such people in the name of gau rakshaks are trying to create tension in society. I want to tell all my countrymen to beware of such fake gau rakshaks,” he said, adding “… these fake gau rakshaks have nothing to do with the cow, they just want to create tension in society. So I ask all state governments to investigate such gau rakshaks and take stern action.”
Then, in what is being seen as a message to his party and the RSS, Modi said: “At the same time, I want to bow to the real devotees, worshippers and servers of cow… you also remain alert, lest a handful people for their personal benefit destroy the great work that you have done. You must come forward to expose such people so that they are not successful in their designs.”
On Saturday, Modi had hit out at gau rakshaks for the first time, saying that most of them were “anti-social” elements who were running “shops” in the name of cow protection.
With many incidents of violence by gau rakshaks reported from BJP-ruled Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the Prime Minister’s remarks is likely to be seen as a boost to the BJP’s attempts to woo the Dalit community ahead of key state elections, including in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab where they play a crucial role.
Party leaders have assessed that the perception of being anti-Dalit will hit the party badly - the Una fallout triggered a change of leadership in Gujarat.
Taking its cue from the Prime Minister, the BJP, which appeared caught between the push to woo Dalits and retain its ideological base, endorsed his call. BJP leader Singh said in a statement that “there cannot be more direct censure by the Prime Minister in expressing displeasure to what anti-social elements are doing in the name of gau rakshaks”.
At least five people have been killed in 16 major incidents of cow vigilantism across eight states in north India over the last few months, while dozens were beaten and publicly humiliated by such groups.
Many of the attacks were linked to the VHP, but the RSS appeared to distance itself from such attacks, with Joshi saying that “some anti-social elements of society have been taking the law in their hands in the name of gau raksha, and trying to disrupt harmony by acts of violence… It can make the sacred task of gau raksha and gau seva look suspect”.
In the first statement on this issue from the Sangh, Joshi said that the “RSS urges countrymen to expose the condemnable acts of a handful of such opportunistic persons, and not to link them with people involved in the sacred duty of gau raksha”.
Echoing the Prime Minister’s remarks, Joshi said: “We also urge state governments to take legal action against such elements and do not let the true act of gau raksha and gau seva be disrupted.”
What Joshi said in public had been stated by several RSS ideologues in internal meetings over the last fortnight. Sources said that the Sangh decided to distance itself from gau rakshaks because they are being viewed as “torchbearers of the upper caste” and “RSS mentality”. It was also felt that the gau rakshaks would hamper the Dalit outreach of the Sangh.