Congress contradicts Shah on lynching, seeks data from home ministry

Shah had said there have been more lynching incidents every year in 2011, 2012 than in 3 years of BJP govt.

New Delhi, July 5: Days after BJP president Amit Shah stated that more incidents of lynching had occurred during the previous governments than under the current NDA rule, the Congress on Tuesday hit back demanding the Union home minister release an official data of such incidents since 2010.

Addressing a gathering of intellectuals in Goa on July 1, Shah had said there have been more lynching incidents every year in 2011, 2012 and 2013, compared to the three-year-long- rule of the BJP-led NDA government.

"Shah is blatantly lying on the issue of lynching. We do admit that there were incidents of lynching during the Congress rule as well, but people involved in such incidents were belonging to either sangh parivar or the BJP. Provocative speeches had been made by the top brass of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah," AlCC Secretary Girish Chodankar said in a statement.

He said that the lynching incidents reported during the Congress regime were hardly three per cent of the total such incidents having taken place since 2010.

A string of lynching incidents, on the alleged suspicion of storage or transportation of beef, have taken place in various cities over a period of time.

Referring to Shah's statement, Chodankar said, "As many as 28 people have died in the lynching incidents since the BJP came to power in 2014, which is 97 per cent of the total such cases since 2010".

He demanded the Union home minister make an official statement on such incidents since 2010.

"We demand the Home minister provide an official data on the lynching incidents and of those involved in these murderous attacks," Chodankar stated.

The Congress leader demanded formulating a national policy on beef, stating that the current such policies vary from state to state.

Responding to Shah's statement that the ban on cow slaughter was imposed by the Congress in Goa in 1976, Chodankar said, "Goa, Daman and Diu Prevention Of Cow Slaughter Act, 1978, was passed on June 21, 1978 when the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was ruling, whereas the Congress came to power only in 1980. The act relates to cow slaughter and is not about banning beef".

"Goa was the first state to enact such a legislation when the BJP did not even exist in this country as a political force".

PTI