Alwar lynching: Rahul calls it ‘brutal new India''; Smriti says don’t indulge in ''vulture politics’

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 23

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday said hatred had replaced humanity in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "brutal" 'New India', which claimed that policemen in Alwar took three hours to take a dying victim of a lynch mob to a hospital as they took a tea-break en route.

"Policemen in #Alwar took 3 hrs to get a dying Rakbar Khan, the victim of a lynch mob, to a hospital just 6 KM away. Why? They took a tea-break enroute," Gandhi said on Twitter, criticising the delay by the policemen in taking the victim to hospital.

"This is Modi's brutal 'New India' where humanity is replaced with hatred and people are crushed and left to die," he said.

Soon the BJP leaders hit back at Rahul Gandhi after the latter blamed the Prime Minister “brutal New India” for the lynching in Alwar.

Smriti Irani was quick to tweet, “Rahul Gandhis family presided over the worst form of hate in 1984, Bhagalpur & Nellie & many other instances. It is shameful that he is doing the same through VULTURE POLITICS. Not a single instance goes by where he doesn't attempt to rupture social bonds for electoral gains.”

In defence of the PM, senior minister Piyush Goyal, wrote, “Stop jumping with joy every time a crime happens, Mr Rahul Gandhi. The state has already assured strict & prompt action. You divide the society in every manner possible for electoral gains & then shed crocodile tears. Enough is Enough. You are a MERCHANT OF HATE.”

This is not the first case in lynching in Rajasthan, where the role of police is also under scanner.  Earlier, too, a video of lynching of a dairy farmer, Pehlu Khan, had shocked the nation.

The 28-year-old victim was allegedly lynched in Rajasthan's Alwar district Friday night by a group of people who accused him of smuggling cows.

The attack came days after the Supreme Court strongly condemned the lawlessness perpetuated by lynch mobs across the country under the guise of cow protection and urged Parliament to make a special law to curb such attacks.

While the government seems to be in no hurry to formulate such a law, the attack demonstrates the law and order situation in the state reports suggest that the police took almost four hours to take a bleeding Khan to hospital.

On the way, the policemen allegedly stopped for tea and took the cows to a shelter before taking Khan to the hospital.

Three people have been arrested.