Centre to broadcast warning on TV, radio against mob lynching and cow vigilantism

The central government will, in a week's time, start broadcasting a warning on television, radio and other media platforms that cow vigilantism and mob violence would invite the "wrath of law", The Hindu has reported.

The Supreme Court, in its July 17 order, had issued a slew of directions to deal with mob violence and cow vigilantism. In line with that order, the apex court had directed the governments, both at the Centre and in the states, to run an awareness campaign on mass media platforms.

On September 24, senior advocate Indira Jaising drew the court’s attention to non-compliance of its order. Jaising, appearing for activist Tehseen Poonawala, told the bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra that nothing appears to have been done on the ground.

In his plea, Poonawala had stated that a 28-year-old dairy farmer Rakbar Khan was attacked by a group of cow vigilantes in Ramgarh district of Rajasthan on July 20, merely three days after the apex court had issued the directive.

The bench considered the submission of Jaising that the directive asking the Centre and states to disseminate a warning message on TV and radio that “lynching and mob violence of any kind shall invite serious consequences under the law” was not being followed.

In their response to the top court, Attorney General KK Venugopal and Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that “the same shall be done, if not already done, within a week”.

The top court had, on July 17, termed the increasing incidents of mob lynching “horrendous acts of mobocracy”. It had issued a slew of directions to the government to provide "preventive, remedial and punitive measures" to deal with such offences.