Cow vigilantes have no place in India: Modi govt tells Supreme Court

New Delhi, Jul 21: The Centre on Friday informed Supreme Court that it does not support any kind of cow vigilantism in any state and no such group has any place in the country as per the procedure of law. The Apex Court then asked all the states to file an affidavit in the matter asking them how they will prevent cow vigilantism.

On the other hand, the BJP-ruled states Gujarat and Jharkhand told the top court that action has been taken against those involved in violence related to cow vigilantism.

A petition seeking a ban on cow vigilante groups across the nation was filed in the apex court.The petitioner had alleged that the vigilante groups have unleashed terror on Minority and Dalit communities, where the Centre has proven ineffective in training terror, unleashed by these groups.

Earlier the Court had sought a response from Centre and other states on the issue. Many cases of harassment and violence in the name of "gau raksha" (cow protection) were recorded, on which the nation stands divided.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in June, had condemned the attacks in the name of cow vigilantism saying, "Killing people in the name of cow is unacceptable. No one has the right to take law into his/her hands. We belong to a land of non-violence. Violence is not the solution to any problem."

Earlier Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar after the all-party meeting had said, "Prime Minister Modi has asked the State Governments to take strict action against the anti-social elements creating violence in the name of cow vigilantism and punish them strictly."