Try cow vigilantes for terror crimes, says Swami Agnivesh: Left-civil society Jaipur dharna on Pehlu Khan murder

By Our Representative
Taking part in a day-long dharma in Jaipur, well-known social activist and religious leader Swami Agnivesh has said that the cow vigilantes (gau rakshaks) should be tried for terror crimes and tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, which is directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India.
Organized by civil society, in alliance with Left parties, about 200 persons sat on dharna demanding the arrest of all the accused named in the FIR lodged after Pehlu Khan was attacked and killed.
While five persons have been arrested for attacking Pehlu Khan, even after 17 days there has not been any arrest of members of the Sangh Parivar and the RSS, the dharna was told.
Among those who participated in the dharna included Pehlu Khan's uncle from Jaisinghpur, Nuh, Haryana, along with several relatives and leaders of the Mev Samaj from Alwar led by Maulana Hanif.
Agnivesh said, “If the government was serious about saving cows, why does it not buy the cow excreta and urine from the farmers and use it for organic farming purpose? Instead, it is doing politics in the name of the cows.”
Pehlu de Khan’s uncle gave an account of what happened during the incident, which led to his death, adding, Pehlu Khan could have been saved had he been moved to a better hospital in Jaipur or in Gurgaon.

Swami Agnivesh

He added, “The entire village is living in fear and everybody wants to return their cows to the collector, in the same way as the Mev community in Alwar has decided. He added, if they do not get justice, they would commit suicide.
Naeem Rabbani, whose hotel was targeted on March 19 for serving beef, said, there was a clear nexus between the police and the mayor of Jaipur Municipal Corporation. The whole idea was to economically destroy a successful hotelier, who happened to be a Muslim.
A list of demands read out at the dharna included suspension of the SHO Behor Police Station and SP of Alwar for failing to do their duty; resignation of Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria for openly glorifying and lauding the criminals; compensation of Rs 1 crore to the nearest kin of Pehlu Khan, and Rs 25 lakh to the injured for rehabilitation.
The demands included closure of all FIRs against Pehlu Khan and others and a single window access to all documents required when transporting cows from one state to another, and reopening of Hotel Hyatt Rabbani in Jaipur.
The dharna ended with a national call demanding for justice to Pehlu Khan by sitting on dharma from April 24 to 26, 2017, when the Vidhan Sabha would be in session.
Those who participated in the dharna included Ravindra Shukla of CPI(M), Maulana Hanif of civil rights organization Insaf (Alwar), Nisha Sidhu of the National Federation of Indian Women, Pyare Lal of the Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch, and representatives of People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Rajasthan Smagra Sewa Sangh, and the Muslim Personal Law Board.

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