india

Updated: Jul 15, 2017 13:21 IST

The government condemned on Friday the lynching of a 45-year-old Muslim trader for allegedly carrying beef in Jharkhand but said there was no “religious angle” to the incident that was the latest in a string of cow-related violence across India.

“It’s a barbaric incident, should be condemned by all, don’t bring religious angle in it,” Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu told news agency ANI.

The comments came a day after the prime minister warned cow vigilantes to not take the law in their own hands and condemned any violence in the name of an animal considered holy by many Hindus.

But hours later, a 100-strong mob thrashed trader Alimuddin aka Asgar Ali, who died in hospital. Photos showed the mob hitting the man, meat pieces strewn on the road, and his car in flames. In one photo, a bloodied and dazed Alimuddin was caught minutes before his death.

Incidents of cow vigilantism have mounted in India since the BJP stormed to power in 2014. In April, a Muslim dairy farmer was lynched in Rajasthan’s Alwar. Last week in Jharkhand’s Giridih, a 200-strong mob thrashed a 55-year-old Muslim dairy owner and set his house ablaze after a cow carcass was found near his home.