Rajnath suggests states frame anti-lynching laws, calls 1984 riots biggest one
New Delhi, July 20 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday suggested to the states that a "strict law, if needed" should be framed by them to stop mob lynching incidents and assured them of providing all support to fight with the menace happening in the country.
He also hit out at the Congress, terming the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as the "biggest" such incident after Independence.
Condemning these rumour mongering incidents for the second consecutive day, the minister, in his speech during the debate on the no-confidence vote in Lok Sabha, said such incidents should not happen.
Rajnath Singh said law and order was a state subject, but the Centre would provide whatever assistance required, while calling on state governments to take stringent steps to curb lynchings.
"I had spoken over the issue yesterday (Thursday) too. I had asked to take stern action against mob lynching incidents. I had also assured that the Central government would provide all support to stop such incidents. And, I want to tell the state governments too that strict law, if needed, should be made to stop these incidents," he said.
Several people have been lynched by mobs in the last few months on the basis of rumours or fake news that they were child lifters. Earlier, people have been attacked and murdered on allegations of cow slaughter and possessing beef, banned by the law.
Countering opposition attack on the BJP-led government over the issue, Rajnath Singh also hit out at the Congress, which be blamed for the 1984 riots but "now, those people are teaching us the lessons on mob lynching incidents".
He also assured the Sikh community that an SIT (Special Investigating Team) was working on the issue and he would "surely provide justice" to them.
Rajnath Singh for the first time on Thursday had admitted in the Lok Sabha that fake news on social media has resulted in many mob lynching incidents in the country and said the government has asked service providers to put a check on rumour mongering on social media. Not satisfied with his response, the opposition walked out.
On the no-confidence motion, Rajnath Singh said the opposition parties did not have confidence among themselves and they were in doubt over who would be their leader and what would their policies be.
"Against whom are you bringing no-confidence? The appeal of the prime minister is such that several people gave up the gas subsidy after he urged them do so. They (the opposition) do not trust each other. And when it comes to talking about the leadership, then 'gayi bhains paani mein' (they lose their steam)," he said.
Expressing displeasure for introducing the no-confidence motion despite numbers favouring the government, Rajnath Singh said the BJP never thought of doing so while it was in opposition from 2004-2014 as it was convinced that Manmohan Singh was safe.
Hitting out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's 'Hindu Pakistan' remark, the senior BJP leader asked: "Where do they (Congress) want to take the country and what does they want India to become."
Terning India the only country where minorities are prospering, he asked: "Do they not want such an India?"
Giving example of opening of 120 mobile factories, the minister said that India has now been the most attractive place for the industrialists across the world today.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
