The incidents of cow vigilante criminals often being left without punishment fuel the increased mob justice in public and attacks on Muslims in the name of mere allegations, often in the presence of police personnel who side with goons, as witnessed in Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar, where a Muslim couple was forced to chant Hindu religious slogans, “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Gau Mata”, after being accused of carrying beef.
A video of the Muslim couple’s ordeal, which occurred on 19 August, surfaced recently, showing a group of self-proclaimed cow vigilante goons stopping and forcing them to kneel, hold their ears, and chant the Hindu religious slogans. One of the vigilantes is heard asking them in Hindi, “Bol Jai Shri Ram, bol Jai Gau Mata.” He is also heard saying, “A mistake has been made, I swear by your Allah.”
The couple complied with the demands while the vigilantes and some locals raised slogans around them. Several police personnel later arrived at the spot as the situation escalated.
The visibly afraid couple, fearing being thrashed, can be seen complying with the goons’ threats, while locals can be heard hailing the attackers, before police personnel arrived at the spot as the situation escalated.
Cow slaughter has been restricted in Odisha since the enactment of the Odisha Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1960. The BJP-led state government has also announced plans to replace the existing framework with a more stringent law.
However, no law can justify public humiliation, religious coercion, or punishment by a mob. The failure to hold vigilantes accountable risks further emboldening such attacks and weakening the rule of law.