Two men fatally attacked by cow vigilantes on suspicion of cow smuggling in lemon transport truck
Sonu Banseeram and Sundar Singh sustain serious injuries
New Delhi: A group of around 20 cow vigilantes brutally assaulted a driver and his companion in Sadulpur, Rajasthan’s Churu District, late on Sunday night. The victims were transporting lemons from Jaipur to Punjab when they were intercepted by vigilantes on suspicion of cattle smuggling.
The victims, identified as 29-year-old Sonu Banshiram and 35-year-old Sundar Singh from Fatehabad, Haryana, were attacked near a toll booth in Laseri village. A video of the incident shows the mob armed with sticks thrashing the victims as they lay on the ground, hitting them in the face with shoes and kicking their heads. After the assault, a man from the mob demanded the van's rear be opened to check its contents.
Rajgarh Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prashant Kiran informed that the traders had stopped their truck on National Highway 52 due to rain. A tip-off to a cow vigilante group led to about 20 activists chasing the truck, believing it was being used to transport cows. Mistaking the vigilantes' intentions as a robbery attempt, the traders sped away.
The vigilantes caught up with the truck at a toll plaza in Lasedi village, dragged the men out, and began thrashing them with sticks. After the assault, one vigilante opened the truck and found lemons instead of cattle. Realizing their mistake, the group fled the scene.
The victims were initially taken to a local hospital in Churu and later referred to a private hospital in Haryana for better treatment. Sonu Banshiram sustained multiple fractures in both legs, while Sundar Singh suffered injuries to his arms and head.
The victims stated they were transporting lemons to Bathinda, Punjab when a group of people on motorbikes and a jeep began chasing their van. Upon reaching the toll booth, the vigilantes started hitting the van with sticks, pulled the men out, and assaulted them despite their explanations. The victims reported hearing the names Sonu, Sonia, Varun, and Dinesh during the attack. The vigilantes also snatched their mobile phones.
DSP Kiran stated that the police learned of the incident through a video clip that surfaced on social media on Sunday. A case for attempted murder was registered following the victims' statements.
"We have detained seven people since Monday," DSP Kiran said, adding that another three to four individuals are under scrutiny for their involvement in the brutal attack. The police have assured strict action against all those responsible.
Last month, three Muslim men were lynched in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur district while transporting buffaloes.
Rajasthan: Cow vigilantes brutally thrashed Sonu Bishnoi and Sundar Bishnoi from Haryana over false allegations of transporting cattle, while in reality, the pickup truck was loaded with lemons. pic.twitter.com/5MdDyy7ujJ
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Vendetta politics: Congress slams PM Modi over 2023 decision on sale of rice to state govts
New Delhi, Jul 5: The Congress on Friday alleged "vendetta politics" on part of the Modi government for refusing to sell adequate rice to implement the 'Anna Bhagya Guarantee' in Karnataka last year and asked whether he would apologise to the people for "obstructing" their elected state government from implementing its schemes.
Congress general secretary, in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh said evidence has emerged showing that Narendra Modi's "vendetta-driven" decision not only deprived the people of Karnataka of an additional 5 kg of rice through the 'Anna Bhagya Guarantee', but also increased India's food subsidy bill by tens of thousands of crores.
He alleged that the PM's "vendetta politics", aimed at obstructing the Congress and non-BJP state governments from implementing their programmes, has corroded India's federal system and cost the Indian taxpayer.
"On June 13, 2023, the Modi government stopped selling rice to state governments under the Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic), reversing the Food Corporation of India's orders to Karnataka issued the day before," Ramesh said in a statement.
"This irrational policy was undertaken with the sole intention of disrupting the Karnataka government's Anna Bhagya Scheme, which doubles the quota of rice available to each individual entitled to grain under the National Food Security Act (2013)," he said.
With the Modi government refusing to sell the state adequate rice to implement the scheme, it was only the Karnataka government's determination and pro-activeness that allowed it to continue the scheme, through a cash transfer of Rs 170 per month for each eligible beneficiary to defray expenses for purchasing 5 kg of rice, Ramesh said.
"The claims made by the Modi government last year -- of depleted rice stocks owing to poor monsoon and high prices -- to justify its discontinuation of the sale of rice through OMSS(D) scheme were blatantly false," he claimed.
In reality, as revealed by a media report, the government is storing 50 million tonnes of rice, three times the required buffer of 13.54 million tonnes, he claimed.
"It costs the FCI Rs 3,975 to buy, transport and stock one quintal (100 kg) of rice. With the Budget looming, the government has finally woken up to the huge cost imposed by the non-biological Prime Minister's vendetta politics – and has finally decided to resume rice sales to states," Ramesh said.
"Will the non-biological prime minister, who withdrew his 'Aashirwaad' to Karnataka after the state voted in a Congress government in May 2023, apologise to the 6.5 crore people of Karnataka for disrespecting their mandate and obstructing their democratically elected state government from implementing its schemes?" Ramesh said.
Will the prime minister apologise to the tax-payers of India, for inflating the food bill subsidy by an estimated Rs 16000- Rs 18000 crore, by stopping the sale of excess rice stock to Karnataka and other states, he asked.
Will the 17 BJP MPs and the 2 JD(S) MPs elected from Karnataka, and the Cabinet Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, also from Karnataka, seek fair compensation from the government of India for the injustice done to the poorest of poor in Karnataka, Ramesh asked.
Our statement on the non-biological PM's reversal of stance on the sale of rice to State Governments.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) July 5, 2024
His vendetta politics, aimed at obstructing the Congress and non-BJP State Governments from implementing their programs, has corroded India's federal system and cost the Indian… pic.twitter.com/7HavLDdaSP
