The Supreme Court of India today said cow vigilantism must stop, directing all states to form a dedicated task force to deal with cow vigilantism within a week. According to ANI, the Supreme Court has asked each state to appoint a senior police officer in each district as nodal officer to take action against cow vigilantism.

Representing the Centre in Supreme Court, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the law is already there to take care of any kind of untoward incidents by the cow vigilante groups. However, Chief Justice Dipak Misra remarked, “We know laws are there, but what action has been taken? You can take planned action so that vigilantism does not grow.”

An IndiaSpend content analysis of English media had revealed in July that Muslims were the target of 51 per cent of violence centred on bovine issues over nearly eight years (2010 to 2017) and comprised 86 per cent of 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents.

As many of 97 per cent of these attacks were reported after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government came to power in May 2014, and about half the cow-related violence — 32 of 63 cases –were from states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party when the attacks were reported, revealed our analysis of violence recorded until June 25, 2017, IANS had reported.