By Aneesa Malik
The lynching of Mohammed Ikhlaq in Bisada village, Uttar Pradesh has sent shockwaves across the country. Even as the UP state government has assured a swift and complete investigation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stayed silent on his normally active Twitter account- failing to offer any condolences to the family of Mohammed Ikhlaq.
The 50 year old iron smith was killed in his home after rumours that he had been storing and eating beef at home. Following Ikhlaq’s murder, investigations into the meat proved it was in fact mutton, not beef.
His 18-year-old daughter Sajida told a newspaper that a “group of more than 100 people from the village” reached the house.
“They accused us of keeping cow meat, broke down our doors and started beating my father and brother. My father was dragged outside the house and beaten with bricks,” she said.
Slaughter of cows is a sensitive issue in India as the animal is considered sacred by Hindus, who comprise 80% of the country’s 1.2bn people.
Eleven states – including Uttar Pradesh – and two union territories (federally-administered regions) in India ban slaughter of cows, calves, bulls and bullocks.
All India Itthadul Majlis-e-Itthadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi visited Ikhlaq’s family members on Friday (October 2) and assured them of his full support. He took the opportunity to harshly criticise UP’s ruling Samajwadi Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. “The killing was not an accident but was pre-planned,” he said. “SP is getting a forensic test on the meat instead of punishing the accused. Even PM Modi is silent on the matter.”
