'Not in the name of the cow', says Modi, vows stringent action against 'hooligan

Seeking to blunt the opposition attack over cow vigilantism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday sought to put the onus for checking such "hooliganism" on state governments, insisting that they take "stringent action" against them

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Seeking to blunt the opposition attack over cow vigilantism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday sought to put the onus for checking such "hooliganism" on state governments, insisting that they take "stringent action" against them.

The prime minister also sought the support of opposition parties in tackling "communal violence" in the name of cow protection, and deprecated attempts at giving political or communal colour to the issue. "All political parties should collectively denounce hooliganism in the name of cow protection. The state governments should take stringent action against such anti-social elements," Modi said in a series of tweets.

Earlier, he told an all-party meeting that maintaining law and order was the responsibility of state governments, which should take strict action against perpetrators of such incidents. "Cow is treated as a mother and it is an emotive issue. But we have to understand that there are laws governing cow protection and breaking it is not an alternative," Modi tweeted.

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