India cow vigilantes attack three men for transporting buffalo

There have been a spate of attacks in the recent months by ‘cow protection’ vigilante groups, who roam some highways inspecting livestock trucks for any trace of the animal.

NEW DELHI // Three men who were transporting buffalo to a slaughterhouse were attacked by vigilantes in the heart of Indian capital, New Delhi police said on Sunday.

The latest attack comes amid a wave of rising tensions over cow slaughter in Hindu-majority India, where the animal is considered sacred and its slaughter is a punishable offence in many states.

There have been a spate of attacks in the recent months by ‘cow protection’ vigilante groups, who roam some highways inspecting livestock lorries for any trace of the animal.

A Muslim man died in one such attack this month after the lorry carrying cows was attacked by one such vigilante group in western Rajasthan state.

“This incident has nothing to do with any cow protection [group] but is linked to an animal rights’ group which has been working in Delhi for long,” Ramil Baniya, deputy commissioner of police said.

“Around 14 buffaloes were being taken for slaughter when the team of animal rights’ activists intercepted and stopped them, and they had some scuffle and arguments,” he said.

The police have since launched two investigations, one over the alleged illegalities in transportation of buffaloes and the other over attack on cattle lorry.

In 2015, a Muslim man was lynched by his neighbours over rumours that he had slaughtered a cow. Police later said the meat was mutton.

Last month a hotel manager was beaten by a mob and his restaurant sealed in Jaipur after Hindu vigilantes accused him of serving beef.

Critics say the vigilantes have been emboldened by the election in 2014 of prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

Last year, Mr Modi criticised the cow-protection vigilantes and urged a crackdown against groups using religion as a cover for committing crimes.

* Agence France-Presse