Mob lynchings being given 'unnecessary importance': Yogi Adityanath

Several cases of lynching and mob violence have been reported from across the country over the last few months.

New Delhi, July 25: Amid growing clamour over mob lynchings across the nation, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said such incident are being given "unnecessary importance". Citing communal riots of 1984 under the Congress regime, Yogi said the grand old party was trying to blow the issue out of proportion.

"These incidents are given unnecessary importance. If you talk about mob lynching, what was 1984? Law and order is a matter of state. Congress' intention to make mountain out of a molehill won't be successful," the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister told news agency ANI.

"We will provide protection to everyone, but it's responsibility of every individual, every community and every religion to respect each other sentiments. Humans are important and cows are also important. Both have their own roles in nature. Everyone should be protected," he added.

Several cases of lynching and mob violence have been reported from across the country over the last few months, the latest being from Rajasthan where a man was beaten to death on Friday on suspicion of cow smuggling. Condemning the rising incidents of lynchings, the Supreme Court had on Tuesday asked the government to enact a law to deal with such cases.

The Centre is considering the possibility of amending the Indian Penal Code to define 'mob lynching' as a penal offence.