Mob lynchings are 'totally condemnable': PM
New Delhi, Jan 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said mob lynchings in the name of cow protection were "totally condemnable," saying such incidents do not reflect well on a civilised society.
At the same time, he appeared to reject the contention of actor Naseeruddin Shah that minorities were feeling unsafe in India due to lynchings, saying "some people" sense insecurity around the time of elections because of "agenda."
In an interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi questioned whether such incidents had started only after his government came to power in 2014.
He said everybody's sentiments should be respected and for creating such an environment, everyone will need to contribute.
"Any such incident does not reflect well on a civilised society. No voice ever should support such incidents. This is totally wrong and totally condemnable," he said when asked to comment on incidents of lynching in the name of cow protection.
On actor Naseeruddin saying that minorities were feeling unsafe in the country, the Prime Minister said, "before elections, some people do see insecurity. Some people have an agenda."
He went on to add, "Did it (mob lynching) start after 2014? This is a result of ills within society. For improving this situation, we should all work collectively."
Prime Minister Modi said his government believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (cooperation with all, development of all).
In this context, Prime Minister Modi said that when his government went on electrifying 18,000 remaining villages of the country, it did not ask the villagers which religion they belonged to.
Similarly, when the government implemented the Ujjwala scheme to provide subsidized LPG connections, it did not discriminate on the basis of religion, Modi said.
He said he did not want get into a debate that such things happened during any particular government as "even one incident is condemnable."
"There should be no such incident in the society. But we should understand what the main fabric of the society is," he added.
The Prime Minister said people should listen to what sentiments Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave had expressed or take note of the sentiments enshrined in the Constitution.
"It is the responsibility of every citizen to respect those sentiments. If you honour those sentiments, our sentiments are also respected. To create this environment, everybody should contribute," he said.
Talking about harmonious existence in India, he said a Muslim scholar based in the Gulf had written about India's harmony in diversity whereas in their region people of the same faith attacked each other.
"India should take pride in this compliment. India should take pride that we have been living in harmony for ages," he said.
The Prime Minister also decried political violence that has been taking place in some parts of the country, apparently referring to West Bengal and Kerala.
"As a worker of the BJP, I strongly condemn it. We have suffered a lot," said Prime Minister Modi.
"In West Bengal, BJP is not even allowed to exercise its democratic rights. During elections, the way our workers are killed, it does not reflect well on democracy. In Kerala, our workers are killed every day," Prime Minister Modi added.
He said BJP workers have been also killed in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.
"The question is not whether our workers are killed or not, but this political violence is not good for our democracy and all political parties will have to think about it," he said.
"I want to assure BJP workers and their families that the government does not tolerate any form of violence, be it by any party. We are committed to ensuring justice to everyone," the Prime Minister added.
"We appeal to the state governments also, some day the truth will come out. Today, some people may be enjoying protection but someday the truth will come out. Political parties should train their cadres how to behave in a democracy," the Prime Minister said.
Courtesy: www.aninews.in
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Kerala court sentences man to life imprisonment for doc's murder in hospital
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Kollam (PTI): A teacher convicted in the sensational murder of Dr Vandana Das inside a hospital here was sentenced to life term on Saturday, and the prosecution said it will move an appeal seeking death penalty for the accused. The victim's family also batted for "maximum punishment".
Dr Das was brutally killed inside a taluk hospital in May 2023 by G Sandeep.
Kollam Additional District and Sessions judge P N Vinod sentenced Sandeep to a total of 30 years for various offences under the then Indian Penal Code (IPC) and said that after he serves that period, his life imprisonment for Das' murder will commence.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.35 lakh on the convict.
Though the prosecution had sought death penalty for the accused during the arguments on sentence, the court was of the view that the case does not fall under the rarest-of-rare category to warrant the maximum punishment.
It was also of the view that there was a chance of the convict getting reformed as he told the court that the rest of his life would be one of repentance, the order on sentence said.
"At the same time, I agree with the stand of the prosecution to the effect that the sentence should commensurate with the gravity of the crime and the sentence should not only be reformative, but should also have a deterrent effect."
"In my view, the said objective can be achieved by directing that the term sentences that will be imposed will run consecutively and life sentence that has to be imposed will commence only after the expiration of terms sentences," the judge said.
After the verdict, special public prosecutor (SPP) Prathap G Padickal told reporters outside the court that he will recommend to the prosecution to file an appeal seeking enhancement of the life imprisonment to death penalty.
The victim's father said that the verdict has come as a relief for the family, but that he cannot authoritatively say whether his late daughter has got justice. He indicated his dissatisfaction with the punishment, saying that steps will be taken to seek its enhancement after discussions with the public prosecutor.
Dr Das' mother said that the family can only wish for the maximum punishment and it was up to the court to decide what sentence should be given. She said that the family will go in appeal, but declined to comment on whether her daughter got justice.
She tearfully said that she wants the convict to suffer the same pain that her daughter underwent "as he stabbed her 27 times".
The court on March 17 had convicted Sandeep for various offences under the IPC, including murder, destruction of evidence and wrongful restraint.
It had also held him guilty under the provisions of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2012.
Sandeep was brought to the taluk hospital by the police for medical treatment during the small hours of May 10, 2023 and he went on a sudden attacking spree using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.
A school teacher by profession, he had initially attacked the police officers and another person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young Dr Das, who could not escape to safety.
She was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.
Dr Das was a native of the Kaduthuruthy area of Kottayam district and the only child of her parents.
She was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.
Sandeep had called the emergency number 112, claiming that his life was in danger. When local police located him, he was standing close by his home, surrounded by local residents and his relatives, and had a wound on his leg following an alleged quarrel.
He was then taken to the hospital for dressing the wound.
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