Cow vigilantism a 'nasur' for India, says Indian-origin Tanzanian lawmaker

Turky, two-time lawmaker of the Tanzanian ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), on Tuesday said that he has raised the issue with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

New Delhi, Jan 10: Salim Turky, a Tanzanian lawmaker of Indian-origin has said that he was deeply concerned over cow vigilantism in India, and claimed that it has become a "nasur" (canker sore) for the country. Part of the Tanzanian delegation, was in Delhi to attend the First PIO-Parliamentary Conference, Turky was also one of the speakers at the day-long event.

Turky, two-time lawmaker of the Tanzanian ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), on Tuesday, said that he has raised the issue with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"We are proud of what Modi government is doing in the world and in the country.

But one thing is not good for India and I call it a 'nasur' and that is cow vigilantism," Turky said on the sidelines of the event. "We do not live in India, but in the news, specially the (electronic) media, you find clips of people being killed, being provoked. This is like discrimination," he said.

Turky's great-grandfather migrated to Tanzania from Gujarat's Kutch region. When asked why he did not raise the issue in the conference, he said it would have "made the atmosphere bad".

"I have raised the issue with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. She said these issues have been exaggerated," Turky claimed. His remarks come in the backdrop of incidents of violence allegedly committed by cow vigilantes in some states in the recent past.

He drew a parallel to the albinos in his country, who are killed as their body parts are considered as lucky.

Turky said the Tanzanian government came hard on those involved in the killing of albinos. In 2015, Tanzania banned witch doctors in an attempt to curb a rising wave of attacks and murders of albinos whose body parts are prized for witchcraft.

PTI