New Delhi: Cow is like ‘mother’ to many Hindus but that does not allow anyone to take law in their hands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi observed here today and said states have been already directed to take strict action against people who are involved in violence in the name of ‘Gau-raksha (cow vigilante)’.
“Pradhan Mantri ne kaha, jo aisey apradh kar rahe haen …..unke khilaf khotor karowai kiya jae (Prime Minister has made it clear that anyone violating laws in the name of cow vigilante should be strictly dealt with),” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told reporters after the all-party meet.
In what is seen as a clear message on the current political turmoil in Bihar, Mr Modi also urged the political parties to come together to fight against corruption. In veiled attack on RJD chief Lalu Prasad, whose family members are facing corruption charges along with him, Mr Modi said, people involved in corruption should not be saved. He said at the meeting that the image of a political leader has taken a beating because of this. The Prime Minister said, there are laws to protect cows but taking law into hands is not acceptable.
Mr Modi also said any attempt to give political and communal colour to such issues will also not benefit the country. Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley were among those who attended the meeting from the government side. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI national secretary D Raja and Mulayam Singh Yadav of SP and other leaders of opposition parties were also part of it.
The all-party meeting was convened by the government to reach out to all the opposition parties as in recent weeks — the relation between the government and various opposition parties has only worsened over differences on various issues. In West Bengal, Trinamool-BJP relation has worsened due to renewed violence and communal clashes in various parts of the state – while the government’s handling of the standoff on border dispute with China has come under severe criticism of the Congress leadership.
