Violence in the name of religion cannot be tolerated in 21st century India: Kharge

File photo

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said violence in the name of religion cannot be tolerated in 21st-century India and the coming generations will have to bear the consequences if people do not unite against such divisive elements.

"What is going on in some parts of Haryana or what the RPF constable did are like giving a deep wound on mother India's heart," he said.

A tragedy unfolded in the wee hours of Monday on board the moving Jaipur-Mumbai Central Express train where a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable allegedly shot dead his senior and three passengers near Palghar station on Mumbai's outskirts, officials said.

The assailant was nabbed with his weapon while trying to flee after passengers pulled the chain of the train which stopped near Mira Road station (on the Mumbai suburban network) at around 6 am, but the motive behind the chilling incident was not yet known.

Constable Chetan Singh (34) shot dead RPF Assistant Sub-Inspector Tika Ram Meena and another passenger in B5 coach with his automatic weapon after 5 AM. He then shot dead another passenger in the pantry car five coaches away and went on to kill one more passenger in S6 coach, which is 8th bogie from the B5 coach, an official said.

Also read: Mumbai train firing: Accused constable Chetan Singh remanded to police custody till August 7

Kharge said such incidents raise serious questions about the "weak" law and order situation and our "weak" constitutional institutions.

He appealed for peace and demanded the strictest punishment for the culprits.

"The violence being spread in the name of religion in 21st-century in India is a blow to the foundation of our civilization - equality of all religions. This cannot be tolerated under any circumstances," he said.

These days, the Congress chief said, "The trend of disintegration seen in the fabric of society is the result of spreading hatred in the society in the greed for power."

"Mixing the poison of animosity in the public and making them fight with each other are like making fun of our Constitution," he said.

"If we do not unite and unitedly raise our voice against these divisive elements today, then the coming generations will have to bear its consequences.

"... Leave hatred, unite India," Kharge said in a tweet in Hindi.

Four people were killed and several others injured in Nuh following violence that erupted over an attempt to stop a VHP procession on Monday. A mosque was set ablaze in Sector 57 area of Gurugram early morning on Tuesday, leading to the death of an Imam.

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said someone who wanted to disturb peace in the state "engineered" the violence in Nuh, where the curfew has been clamped. (With inputs from PTI)