We don't support vigilantism, Centre tells SC

The Centre does not support cow vigilantism and it is for the states to take action against those indulging in violence, the government on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court.

“It (law and order) is a state subject. The Union government has no role. We have said so – we don’t support any kind of vigilantism by private persons,” Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar submitted before a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra. Kumar also cited a statement by the government in a written reply to Parliament that wherever acts of violence have occurred, action has been taken.

Hearing a petition filed by Congress supporter Tehseen Poonawalla and others, the bench also recorded the statement by the counsel appearing for Gujarat that the police have taken action in a case of cow vigilantism, and all the accused are in jail.

The court, however, asked the Union government as well as the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat to file their response to the PIL, challenging respective state laws that granted the status of public servants to groups working for cow protection. It also sought details of the incidents reported from the states and action taken within four weeks, and posted the matter for September 6. Karnataka and Jharkhand have filed their response to the PIL.

K’taka defends law
Notably, the Karnataka government has defended before the court its law granting protection to gau rakshaks.

In an affidavit, the state, however, had maintained that the act, done only in “good faith”, was protected under the law and not any violent or criminal activities bringing disharmony between communities.

Poonawalla and two others had sought directions to declare as unconstitutional the provisions in the laws of Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, which granted recognition to cow vigilante groups.