Truth vs Hype: Dadri, Cattle Vigilantes and Political Patronage
It has been almost two weeks since the killing of Mohammad Akhlaq of Dadri village, murdered on a rumour that he killed a calf and ate beef. Several of the BJP's top leadership have called for restraint. But the climate remains charged; violent vigilantism in the name of the cow is spreading. Are the BJP's calls for restraint sufficient to rein in violence? Or is the party's obsession with cow protection serving as a proxy endorsement of groups that use the cow card to stir sectarian tensions?
