We can't be selective about condemning violence: Nirmala Sitharaman

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said one should not be "selective" while condemning violence and asked 'Not In My Name' protesters to hold demonstrations against killings in Kerala and West Bengal also.

She said that nobody has a business to take law into their own hands "for whatever purpose".

'Not In My Name' protest "seems to be a bit selective in nature...Lynching is happening elsewhere too. People are being lynched in Kerala based on ideologies, there is lynching happening in West Bengal, Kashmiri pundits were lynched out of Kashmir", she said while responding to questions on Twitter.

"I want 'Not In My Name' protest to be held in Kerala... about lynching which is happening in Bengal, about the lynching which happened in Jammu & Kashmir," she said adding "the principle should apply to everybody".

She asked the protesters to demonstrate "wherever human life is being hurt (as) we cannot be selective in condemning violence".

Hundreds of people from Delhi joined the protest called "Not In My Name" held yesterday after a 17-year-old boy, Junaid, was killed by a mob on board a Mathura-bound train.

Simultaneous protests were held in several other cities and are also slated to be held elsewhere in the world.

Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said killing of people in the name of cow protection is not acceptable, remarks that come amid a spurt of attacks by cow vigilantes and a wave of protests.