New Delhi | With increasing mob lynching incidents reported around the nation on a daily basis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has summoned police officers from various states and issue them a directive to “ensure they keep the social fabric intact, monitor the elements trying to disrupt peace and prevent violent incidents fuelled by social messaging services”.
PM Modi had asked the senior police officers to proactively quell the rumour mongering and act swiftly. “To ensure that the morale, patience and resolve of society remain intact in face of inimical forces spreading misleading messages. Any such efforts should be monitored very closely.” PM Modi also advised that various agencies and state police should be prompt in sharing information and technology and mutual coordination among the agencies should be a matter of commitment rather than a mere formal mechanism. Law and order is a state subject according to Schedule 7 of the Constitution.”
“Police patrolling vans have increased in the last couple of decades, it does not seem to have the same impact as that of foot patrolling in villages, towns and cities,” added PM Modi. Earlier in 2016, PM Modi had suggested that state police should focus on developing ‘soft-skills’ to understand mob psychology and develop the means to handle it.
Addressing the seriousness of the issue, the Supreme Court had directed the State governments to prevent incidents of mob lynching and made the state police accountable. Similarly the Central government issued a advisory to the State government stating “The state governments (are) to designate a senior police officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) as nodal officer in each district and such nodal officer shall be assisted by one of the DSP rank officer for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.”
The central government also appoint a high-level committee under Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba, to investigate in the matter and make recommendations to a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh. The GoM will make final recommendations to PM Modi.
Earlier on Friday last week in Rajasthan, a Muslim man named Rakbar Khan was lynched by an agitated mob on suspicions of cow smuggling in Alwar district. The post-mortem report states that victim died due to ‘shock’ after hit by a “blunt weapon or object.
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