BJP MLA Vikram Saini has promised to break the limbs of those who kill or disrespect cows
Just as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was underlining the theme of “development for all” in Gorakhpur, around 240 kilometres away in another part of the state, an MLA reiterated his promise to break the limbs of those who killed or disrespected cows.
Khatauli MLA Vikram Saini was speaking at a function in Muzaffarnagar on Saturday to felicitate UP minister Suresh Rana when he made the comments, amid loud applause and cheers from the audience.
“I had promised that I will break the hands and legs of those who hesitate in saying ‘Vande Mataram’, those who feel pain in saying ‘Bharat mata ki jai’, and also those who do not consider cows as their mother and kill them... We are ready to fulfill that promise. We have a team of youth activists to take action,” Saini said.
Saini, an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots case, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA). His remarks came within days of Yogi directing a crackdown on unlicensed abattoirs, a move seen by opponents as one of the first steps in pursuing a Hindutva agenda. Yogi made it clear that licensed abattoirs would not be touched, an assertion that could keep in check overzealous reactions.
The chief minister had cautioned his supporters the same day in Gorakhpur, the Lok Sabha seat from where he had been elected five times, against getting carried away by frenzy. He has been focusing on the law-and-order situation and development agenda, saying there will be development for all, but appeasement of none, an apparent dig at the previous Samajwadi Party regime. Pursuing the development road map, he directed that all roads in the state be made pot-hole free within a given time-frame.
On Sunday, his second day in his constituency, Yogi, who was seen as a Hindutva hardliner, again spoke of “development for all without discrimination”. The chief minister, who fed cows at a shelter for the animals, said the people of Gorakhpur who had elected him had certain responsibilities too.
But his message of caution does not seem to have percolated down. State minister and government spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh said the chief minister has made it clear that the focus should be on development for all and on law and order. “I hope all BJP members take the message in its true letter and spirit,” Singh said.
The legislature party meeting is being held on March 30.
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