Cow lynchings: Violence can never be a partisan issue, Jaitley tells opposition

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told protesting opposition parties in Rajya Sabha today not to give political colour to incidents of cow-related violence. He said violence could never be a partisan issue.

The third day of the monsoon session saw disruptions in Parliament when opposition parties raised a hue and cry over incidents of cow lynching and growing trend of vigilantism in the country.

In a long speech, Jaitley questioned the duplicity of opposition's claims on vigilantism but also said nobody had the right to take the law in his own hands. Sensitivity to the cow could not justify violence, he said.

While stating that cow slaughter was a state issue, Jaitley said action taken in all such incidents was in a systematic manner and arrests had been made. All of the accused were going to be chargesheeted and then prosecuted for the offences, he said

Replying to the criticism of the government by opposition parties, Jaitley said the home minister from the very first day and the prime minister too had condemned taking law in own hands in the name of gau raksha.