Alwar mob lynching: Rakbar Khan was in police custody for three hours. He died on the way to hospital.
Highlights
- Victim in police custody for over 3 hours before he was taken to hospital
- "People are crushed and left to die," said Rahul Gandhi on Twitter
- Rakbar Khan, 28, was killed by mob on suspicion on cow smuggling
The alleged delay in providing treatment to a man thrashed by a mob on suspicion of cow smuggling, which led to his death, has brought the focus on the Rajasthan police. First they failed to prevent repeated incidents of mob lynching in the state and then they allegedly took their sweet time in getting the critically injured man to the hospital. The Alwar mob lynching was raised in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and the centre has asked for a report from the Rajasthan government.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi demanded to know why it took cops three hours before the victim was taken to a hospital which was just a few kilometres from the lynching spot.
In his tweet this morning, Mr Gandhi also targeted "Modi's brutal 'New India'" where hatred rules and "people are crushed and left to die".
"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. This is Modi's brutal "New India" where humanity is replaced with hatred and people are crushed and left to die," he wrote on Twitter.
Acting Finance Minister Piyush Goyal was quick to retort. He not only called Mr Gandhi a "Merchant of hate", he also accused him of playing divisive politics.
"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," Mr Goyal tweeted.
Union minister Smriti Z Irani used the term "vulture politics" to describe Mr Gandhi's politics.
"Rahul Gandhi's 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," she wrote.
On Friday, minutes before he walked up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suprised him with an unexpected hug, Mr Gandhi had told the packed Lok Sabha that love and tolerance, not hatred and lynchings, was the way forward for India.
"You may hate me, you may be angry at me; you may even call me pappu. You can hurl abuses at me but I do not have any anger or hate for you. I am Congress, and all of them (the Opposition) are the Congress. This feeling and the Congress have built this nation. And you should never forget that," he had said during the No-Confidence motion debate in Lok Sabha.
The BJP today referred to the hug which was followed by a wink to criticise Rahul Gandhi for his criticism over mob lynching.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh is expected to hold urgent meeting to deal with the menace of mobs going berserk and killing innocent people merely on suspicion.
Rakbar Khan, 28, was killed in Rajasthan's Alwar district where last year a dairy owner, Pehlu Khan, was mercilessly beaten to death by a mob that suspected him of smuggling cows for slaughter. Rakbar Khan and his friend Aslam targeted when they were seen taking home a couple of cows they had bought from a nearby village.
The men, residents of a Haryana village, were walking through a forest area when they were attacked by locals in Lallawandi village. The mob had brought sticks and stones. They kicked and rained blows on the two men. While Rakbar Khan's friend managed to escape, he was beaten up till he stopped moving.
Rakbar Khan, however, died in police custody. It took the police about three hours 45 minutes before he was taken to a hospital early on Saturday. The cops were busy arranged for vehicles to take the seized cows to a shelter, visited the police station -- a stone's throw from the hospital -- and even took a tea break during this period.
The Congress responded sharply to the mob killing.
"Killing of people on 'suspicion' is sadly becoming a norm in BJP-ruled states," Sachin Pilot, the Rajasthan Congress chief said.
The Rajasthan police have promised a thorough investigation into the alleged delay in reaching the hospital.
Social activist Tehseen Poonawalla has demanded action against has demanded action against the Vasundhara Raje government for failing to prevent mob killings in the state. Mr Poonawalla approached the Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear his plea on August 20 when the bench will hear other cases of mob killing.