[dropcap]A[/dropcap]ddressing the instances of violence and lynching across the nation fuelled by rumours of child-lifting, theft, and cattle smuggling, the Internal Securities – I Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs sent out a letter to the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police of all State and Union Territories today, in which they denounced the instances of people taking law into their own hands as contrary to the basic tenets of the rule of law.
#MobLynching :- Union Ministry of Home Affairs writes to all States/UTs to comply with the directions/guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in Cow vigilantism case. MHA has also sought compliance report at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/HL7JZPORB2
— The Leaflet (@TheLeaflet_in) July 24, 2018
The letter came in the wake of the recent Supreme Court judgment wherein the Court heavily condemned such “horrendous acts of mobocracy” and issued directions to the State and Central government to undertake preventive, remedial and punitive measures for the same.
As “police” and “public order” fall under the State List as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, the Letter held State Governments and Union Territories responsible for controlling crime, maintaining law and order and protecting the life and property of citizens, irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion. Through the letter, the Union Ministry directed action against perpetrators of such violence.
The letter annexed the directions issued by the Supreme Court in the judgment, instructing State Governments, Union Territory administrations and their law enforcement agencies to implement them and send a detailed report about actions taken in lieu of the Court’s directions to the Ministry at the earliest.
