The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, a prominent Islamic scholars organization, has moved an application before the Supreme Court in response to the alarming surge in cases of mob lynching, particularly those perpetrated by cow protection vigilante groups.
A bench comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, Aravind Kumar, and Prashant Kumar Mishra announced on Friday that they will deliberate on the application filed by the organization in the ongoing proceedings.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared on behalf of the petitioners, emphasized the need to include all state governments as parties in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the National Federation of Indian Women.
The impleadment application, represented by advocate Sugandha Anand, cited a recent incident in which an unruly mob of four Hindu men attacked a 23-year-old Muslim physiotherapist from Madhya Pradesh as she was returning home from work.
The application stated, “It is submitted that these are just some incidents that have been highlighted here, but these incidents of mob violence and cow vigilantism have been on the rise and it seems that they will continue to haunt our secular, multireligious fabric of the nation unless strictly dealt with by the police, state, and the Central government.”
In July, the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Centre and several state governments, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra, regarding the disturbing increase in cases of lynching and mob violence, particularly those committed by “cow vigilantes.”
The public interest litigation contended that such acts of lynching and mob violence were the result of a broader narrative that ostracizes minority communities through the spread of false propaganda at public events, hate speeches targeting minorities, and various media channels, including social media and films.
The plea further underscored the state’s “sacrosanct duty to protect its citizens from unruly elements and perpetrators of orchestrated lynching and vigilantism with utmost sincerity and true commitment.” It said that the state had a positive duty to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals and foster a secular, pluralistic, and multiculturalist social order.
The matter is expected to be scheduled for further hearing on December 8, 2023.
