A select committee of the Madhya Pradesh assembly set up to examine a bill related to mob lynching in the state has not met even six months after it was constituted, the committee members said.
The state government introduced a bill for amendments in Madhya Pradesh Cow Progeny Slaughter Prevention Act, 2004, during the assembly’s monsoon session in July 2019, aimed to criminalize violence seen in some incidents of cow vigilantism in the state.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintains the amendment is aimed to target the cow protectors and shield those involved in cow slaughter and transportation.
The constitution of the committee headed by senior Congress leader Laxman Singh as its chairperson and 10 members was notified on August 26, 2019. Other members included ministers Lakhan Singh Yadav and PC Sharma and BJP law-makers such as Ajay Vishnoi and Rameshwar Sharma.
According to the state assembly records, as many as 94 meetings of the assembly’s different committees have been held since August 26 but not of the select committee under question.
Rameshwar Sharma said, “No meeting of the select committee has been held so far. The state government’s intention was clear. It was not serious about checking mob lynching but to victimise the cow vigilantes who want to check cow slaughter and transportation of cows.”
{{/usCountry}}Rameshwar Sharma said, “No meeting of the select committee has been held so far. The state government’s intention was clear. It was not serious about checking mob lynching but to victimise the cow vigilantes who want to check cow slaughter and transportation of cows.”
{{/usCountry}}Minister for animal husbandry, Lakhan Singh Yadav, said, “I have spoken to the Chief Minister Kamal Nath. A meeting of the committee will be held soon.”
Minister for law and legislative affairs, PC Sharma said, “The state government is committed to enacting a law to check all kinds of mob lynching in the state.”
Principal secretary legislative assembly, AP Singh, said, “Suggestions have been invited from the public in this regard. I will check if a meeting of the committee has been held.”
The Central government in July 23, 2018, had directed all states to introduce steps to check mob lynching including cow vigilantism following an order by the Supreme Court. Later, Madhya Pradesh police issued similar guidelines on July 25, 2018, to the districts recommending the appointment of nodal officers to ensure implementation of the Central guidelines.
Madhya Pradesh witnessed such crimes in 2020 also. On Thursday, residents of a village in tribal dominated Dhar district, 251 kilometers south west of Bhopal, lynched a farmer and seriously injured five other farmers believing a rumour that they were child-lifters.