Gau Raksha Dal chief Satish Kumar booked in crackdown on 'cow vigilantes'

On 8 August, the Patiala Police lodged an FIR against 'Gau Raksha Dal' chief Satish Kumar for a video circulated on social media, which depicted members of his organisation brutally thrashing people under the pretext of cow protection.

Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurmeet Chauhan confirmed the news to ANI.

An FIR was lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC); however, Kumar is yet to be arrested.

A day ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly rebuked cow vigilantes, saying most of them are "anti-social" elements who are running "shops" in the name of cow protection.

In his first comments on the violence against Dalits by cow vigilantes, Prime Minister Modi has also asked state governments to prepare dossiers on the so-called cow protectors as 80% of them indulge in illegal activities at night and become cow protectors in the day.

"The people, who are troubled by the unity of the society, are in the name of 'gau rakshaks' attempting to create friction in society. I urge my fellow countrymen to be aware of such 'gau rakshaks'," he said.

The Prime Minister, addressing the Town Hall meeting organised at Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi to mark the second anniversary of MyGov(dot) on Saturday broke his silence, talking strong exception to atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat's Una in the name of cow protection.

He said, "I am very much angry on those who have opened their occupation in the name of 'Gau Raksha' (cow protection). There are many 'Gau Rakshaks' (cow protectors). They protect cows to hide their illegal occupations. Cows mostly die of eating plastic bags and these gau rakshaks should urge people not to throw plastics on the roads. This will be a big sewa," he said.

--ANI